According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), shrimp exports reached US$600 million in the first three months of 2023, down 37%. Most major markets posted double-digit losses during this period.

Specifically, shrimp exports to the Japanese market reached about US$105 million, down 29% from the same period in 2022. The US market was valued at US$104 million, down 46%, and the EU market was around US$89 million, down 44%. %, the Korean market reached USD 78 million, down 25%.

In the structure of exported shrimp products, the value of white leg shrimp reached US$451 million, down 38% from the same period in 2022. The export value of black tiger shrimp reached US$83 million, down 34%.

Kim Thu, VASEP’s shrimp market expert, said Vietnam’s shrimp industry will face challenges from inflation and global economic recession in 2023. In addition, Vietnamese shrimp face stiff price competition from Ecuador and India.

Mr. Le Van Quang, general director of Minh Phu Seafood Group, explained the reason why Vietnamese shrimp has a high cost, saying that domestic companies must make great efforts to control antibiotics from the region. In addition, they also bear the cost of antibiotic control in importing countries and are deducted from the selling price.

At the recent Prime Minister Reporting Conference, Mr Quang reported that Vietnam’s shrimp industry is losing up to VND10,000 billion because people are using antibiotics in shrimp farming.

“This problem has existed for decades. This severely limits sales opportunities due to the long release times due to waiting for samples and antibiotic test results. With all these problems, the enterprises have to suffer, which leads to the deterioration of the competitiveness of shrimp,” Quang pointed out.

Currently, the price of raw shrimp in Vietnam is about 30% higher than in India and twice as high as in Ecuador. The competitiveness of Vietnamese shrimp has been reduced, particularly in the United States’ main export market.

The prime minister and director-general of Minh Phu Seafood Corporation said there was a need to strictly adhere to the use of antibiotics in the shrimp industry. He suggested that functional units and state administrative agencies should continuously and regularly review and monitor antibiotics in agricultural areas.

“If antibiotics are detected in the breeding area, strict measures and sanctions must be taken, such as the destruction of shrimp ponds. Only then can we get rid of the habit of using antibiotics,” said Mr. Quang.

In addition to the agricultural field, Mr. Le Van Quang suggested that the government strictly control and treat severely companies and sellers of medicines, chemicals, microbial products, etc. mixed with antibiotics to sell to farmers.

In early 2023, a research team from Nha Trang University published an assessment of antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacteria in shrimp farmed in Khanh Hoa. Accordingly, the group recommends that shrimp farms should carefully consider the use of antibiotics to treat shrimp diseases to avoid drug resistance.

At the same time, the group suggested that managers take measures to control the use of antibiotics in shrimp farms today to protect the rights and health of consumers at home and abroad.

Master Van Hong Cam, lecturer in the research team, said that the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance is becoming more common, has negative effects on disease prevention and control and the environment, and causes great harm to people. Especially shrimp farming and the fishing industry in general.

Shrimp is a major export of the Vietnamese fish industry, accounting for 40-45% of the total export turnover of the whole fish industry. The shrimp industry achieved a record export value of US$4.3 billion in 2022 and is expected to maintain this momentum in 2023.

However, Vietnam’s shrimp industry faces many challenges. First is the growth of Ecuador, where that country’s shrimp production is estimated at 1.5 million tons, double that of the Vannamei in Vietnam.

The second factor is that since the second half of 2022, the price of imported shrimp in the global market is still on the downward trend and is expected to fall further as the global supply increases to about 6 million tons. Meanwhile, domestic raw shrimp prices tend to rise.

After all, stocks in the import markets are still quite large. Due to economic difficulties and political conflicts, demand from markets such as the USA, the EU and South Korea is not expected to recover in the first half of 2023.

In order for the shrimp industry to develop sustainably, the Directorate of Fisheries (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) recommends organizing production toward association and quality certification to ensure quality and reduce the cost of products. Also, focus on guiding farmers in teaching advanced, appropriate and effective techniques. Developing shrimp farming and other stages in the shrimp production chain towards high technology to reduce direct labor and curb the spread of disease.

On the company side, the General Department proposed to redirect the export of country-specific products such as shrimp – forest, shrimp – rice, proactively change the product structure to meet the needs of each market segment, prepare the availability of raw materials and production capacity to cope with the recovery of shrimp demand to keep up with the world market.

Shrimp companies apply to the government for permission to set up a public-private partnership mechanism with research institutes. This is the basis for the production of high-quality, disease-resistant shrimp seeds that are adapted to the weather, climate and environment of each region of Vietnam.