Soc Trang (VNA) – Vietnam sets a target of earning 4.1-4.2 billionUSD from shrimp exports this year, higher than 3.6 billion USD recorded in2018, according to the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

The figurewas released at a conference to launch production and business plans for thedomestic shrimp industry in 2019 that was held on March 13 by MARD in theMekong Delta province of Soc Trang, one of large shrimp producers in thecountry.

The directorate said the industry was expected to achieve a total shrimp outputof 780,000 tonnes this year, including 300,000 tonnes of tiger shrimp and480,000 tonnes of white-leg shrimp.

In 2019, the local shrimp industry would have many opportunities but also facegreat challenges in export.

The hot weather and salinity can impact farming areas, according to thedirectorate.

To achieve the goal, Truong Dinh Hoe, General Secretary of the Vietnam Associationof Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said enterprises should focus onimproving the competitiveness of Vietnam’s shrimp industry.

However, Vietnamese shrimp products still faced various kinds of barriers suchas anti-dumping tax and low price of shrimp imported from India. Meanwhile, keymarkets have strengthened quality control and food safety, including the US,the EU and Republic of Korean markets.

Each year, Vietnam still imports 200,000-250,000 units of white-leg shrimpparents, satisfying 90 percent of the domestic demand.

Meanwhile, the price of Vietnamese shrimp is still higher than other countriesbecause the industry has to depend on imports of food and medicine for shrimpproduction.

Many farms have not received investment for infrastructure and technology,especially in extensive farming areas. There are still many small-scale farmslacking capital and investment opportunities.

According to the Directorate of Fisheries, the total area of farming brackishshrimp in 2018 reached more than 736,000 hectares, 3 percent higher than theprevious year, including 632,000 hectares raising tiger prawn and 104,000hectares rearing white-leg shrimp. Provinces having increased farming areasinclude Bac Lieu, Kien Giang, Tra Vinh and Soc Trang.

Total output of brackish water shrimp in 2018 reached more than 762,000 tonnes,a year-on-year surge of 6.3 percent, including 298,000 tonnes of tiger prawnand 464,000 tonnes of white-leg shrimp.

However, Vietnam’s shrimp industry only achieved an export value of 3.6 billionUSD last year, a year-on-year reduction of 7.8 percent.

The shrimp exports to some major markets dropped in 2018 against the previousyear, including mainland China and Hong Kong (down 28 percent), the EU (down2.8 percent), the US (down 3.3 percent), Japan (down 9.2 percent) and Taiwan(2.6 percent).-VNA