© JALA
JALA, a leading aquaculture technology company, joined forces with the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) to host Shrimp Outlook 2025 at the Marriott Hotel Yogyakarta. Bringing together 350 shrimp farmers, industry experts, and stakeholders, the event explored Indonesia’s shrimp industry challenges and opportunities under the theme "Shrimping Up Indonesia: Navigating Local Challenges with Global Insights.”
The event commenced with opening remarks from Budi Sulistiyo, Director General of Marine and Fisheries Product Competitiveness, and Lukas Manomaitis, USSEC’s Southeast Asia Technical Director for Aquaculture.
"While Indonesia remains a net seafood exporter, we still need to strengthen our competitiveness against other shrimp-producing countries, focussing on acceleration of CBIB certification to strengthen global market positioning,” said Sulistiyo, according to a press release.
Liris Maduningtyas, CEO and co-founder of JALA, took the stage and shared a sneak peek of JALA’s Shrimp Outlook 2025 report, which shows the evaluation of Indonesia’s shrimp industry performance in 2024, with takeaways for 2025. According to the report, Indonesia saw a productivity increase from 10.35 tonnes per hectare in 2023 to 11.55 tonnes per hectare in 2024, with Bali-Nusa Tenggara showing the most impressive improvement.
Strengthening Indonesia’s shrimp industry
The event hosted an engaging lineup of speakers, each giving insight into how Indonesia's shrimp farming industry can be strengthened.
Melony Sellars, CEO of Genics, took to the stage with a presentation about the importance of biosecurity in the development of the industry. She shared that to be more resilient against shrimp pathogens, Indonesia must use tests that are fit-for-purpose, validate information with scientific publications, and seek expert advice from reputable sources. Farmers were advised to choose broodstock and post-larvae suppliers that conduct regular comprehensive pathogen testing.
Industry experts also analysed Indonesia’s market positioning and consumer preferences. Willem van der Pijl, Director of Global Shrimp Forum, joined the discussion remotely, presenting a talk titled “Shrimp Trade Trends: Global Shifts and Indonesia’s Positioning.” He shared that global shrimp prices in Q4 2024 has started to improve, but global imports have stagnated since 2022. Indonesia also faces several challenges in the global shrimp market, such as potential tariff increases to the US and difficulty of access to the EU market.
“Indonesia needs to increase its competitive edge and diversify its markets for both raw and value-added shrimp. China and the EU are promising markets, but it’s also important to strengthen the domestic shrimp market to provide more stability and reduce dependence on exports," said van der Pijl.
Lessons from Ecuador
To enhance Indonesia’s global competitiveness, the event also featured insights from Ecuador - one of the world’s top shrimp exporters. Yahira Piedrahita, Executive Director of Ecuador’s National Aquaculture Chamber, joined a panel discussion on “Turning Challenges into Opportunities: Learning from Ecuador’s Strategies towards Global Success.”
According to Piedrahita, one of the reasons Ecuador is able to reach high productivity numbers is through local genetic improvement programmes. They also focus on adopting new technology such as aeration, automated feeding, and AI-driven monitoring.
"Collaboration between government and stakeholders is essential, whether to improve production or increase local consumption. This is something Indonesia needs to take note of in order to improve shrimp productivity, where all parties must analyse risks and seek solutions together," she added.
An optimistic outlook
In response to Shrimp Outlook 2025, Arif Widianto, a shrimp farm supervisor in Banten, expressed his enthusiasm. “We are able to share with other shrimp farmers and receive positive affirmation from JALA,” he said.
With a forward-looking approach, Shrimp Outlook 2025 aimed to reinforce the importance of innovation, sustainability, and adaptability in navigating the industry's challenges. By leveraging global insights and collaborative efforts, Indonesia’s shrimp sector is well-positioned to thrive in the years ahead.
