Deputy director-general Niwat Sutheemeechaikul said yesterday that large prawns could find a good market in high purchasing-power countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Up to now the focus has been on vannamai shrimp, which yield small and medium-size specimens that serve only the US market. However, varieties that are less than 40 shrimp per kilogram will have higher demand in the market. Thailand targets to increase large shrimp production to 30,000 tonnes, accounting for 5-7 per cent of the total per year. The crop will be mainly exported to Japan.
Shrimp exports
THAILAND - The Fisheries Department suggests shrimp farmers switch topremium sizes to avoid the problem of falling prices for smaller prawns.