Bangkok – Thailand will import over 10,500 tonnes of sea shrimps this year to ease a shortage at processing plants under a decision made on August 8 at the first meeting of the shrimp board with 21 members representing the Government as well as shrimp farmers and processors.

Head of the Thai Fisheries Department Chalermchai Suwannarak (Photo: Voice-TV)

Head of the Fisheries Department Chalermchai Suwannarak said since domestic production failed to meet demand from processors for export, the board decided to allow the import of 10,501 tonnes of shrimp from Ecuador and India this year.

About 42 tonnes of shrimp have been imported since the department approved shipments on June 10.

The board has targeted domestic production of 320,000 tonnes of white shrimp this year, rising to 400,000 tonnes next year.

This year, Thailand had produced 138,733 tonnes of shrimp up to the end of July, including 129,100 tonnes of Pacific white shrimp and 9,632 tonnes of black tiger prawns, Chalermchai said.

Thailand now has about 30,000 shrimp farms covering 96,000 ha, according to the Federation of Thai Aquaculture. However, it confirmed that production has dropped to 250,000-350,000 tonnes per year due to persistent outbreaks of early mortality syndrome (EMS).