Tiger prawn processors lack raw catch

Some export giant tiger prawn processors are working at half capacity because of a shortage of raw crustaceans and consequent high prices.

Ut Xi Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company general director Nguyen Tuan Anh said processing factories were operating at half capacity because the giant tiger prawn had died off from disease in southern provinces.

“We have orders for Christmas and new year but the company can’t get enough prawns so it doesn’t dare to sign contracts,” Anh said.

Southern Hau Giang Province Cafatex Corporation general director Nguyen Van Kich said that over the past 10 years prawn export processors have never before had such a serious lack of raw material.

There had been difficulties but they had always managed to compete to get what they required for production, Kich said.

Of major concern was the lack of work for labourers.

Viet Nam Association Seafood Exporters and Processors general secretary Truong Dinh Hoe said the death of prawns from disease in recent months had made it difficult to fulfil export contracts signed with partners in Japan and the US.

The serious lack of raw prawns would continue till August, Hoe said.

Soc Trang Seafood Joint Stock Company general director Tran Van Pham said many farmers had grown whiteleg shrimps instead of giant tiger prawns.

But that was a temporary solution because Vietnamese tiger prawns only had to compete with Indian tiger prawns while Vietnamese whiteleg shrimps had to compete with whiteleg shrimps produced in many countries, Pham said.

While enterprises had to spend more time and money growing whiteleg shrimp, Hoe said it was not viable to import raw prawns because world prices were high, making Viet Nam’s exports too expensive.

Hoe said, however, that the association expected prawn exports to hit $2 billion this year despite lower volumes because the price was high.

Ca Mau Seafood Processing and Export Association general secretary Ly Van Thuan said farmers in southern Ca Mau Province had enough prawns for the whole year and while there were not enough to warrant building new factories, firms would be upgrading with modern equipment to improve capacity. — VNS

Tags: Tiger prawn