The export of white-legged shrimp has increased significantly thisyear and beaten shipments of the black tiger shrimp for the first time.

The export value of 1.18 billion USD in theJan-October period marks a massive 95 percent year-on-year rise inshipment of the white-legged shrimp, according to the VietnamAssociation of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

In October alone, the export revenues reached 199.3 million USD, up 168 percent against the same period last year.

In January, white-legged shrimp accounted for 37.8 percent of thecountry's total shrimp export value, while that of black tiger shrimpaccounted for 51.3 percent.

But by September,white-legged shrimp accounted for 47.4 percent of the total shrimpexport value and that of the black tiger shrimp fell to 45.7 percent.

All major markets, including Japan, the US and EU haveimported significantly higher quantities of white-legged shrimp thisyear.

With the supply of shrimp from other majorexporters like India and Thailand decreasing because of disease attacks,demand for Vietnamese crustaceans has surged, and since much largerquantities of white-legged shrimp are cultivated here, export of thesehave risen considerably as well.

Another reason forthe increase in exports is that the holiday season is approaching in themajor importing markets, and demand for shrimp usually rises at thistime of the year.

Breeding advantages

In Vietnam, the breeding of large quantities of white-legged shrimphas been allowed in the central and northern regions since 2006 and inthe Mekong Delta since 2008.

The area dedicated towhite-legged shrimp cultivation has been expanded rapidly in the pastfew years. As of September this year, the country had 47,300ha of farmscultivating the white-legged shrimp, according to the Directorate ofFisheries, and a total of 106,479 tonnes were harvested.

Meanwhile, the area under black tiger shrimp cultivation is muchhigher at 581,500ha for a total harvest of 152,313 tonnes.

In Mekong Delta provinces that have large shrimp cultivation areaslike Tien Giang, Soc Trang and Tra Vinh, farmers prefer breedingwhite-legged shrimp as it has high yield and a shorter breeding period.

Farmer Nguyen Huu Vi, who owns three shrimp pondswith a total area of 8,000sq.m in Cau Ngang district's My Long Namcommune in Tra Vinh, said that after many years of suffering losses frombreeding black tiger shrimp because of disease outbreaks, he switchedto white-legged shrimp in 2010.

"I have earnedprofit from every white-legged shrimp crop since 2010," he said. Ittakes about 35-40 days to harvest a white-legged shrimp crop and aboutthree months for a black tiger shrimp crop, he said.

Currently, the price of white-legged shrimp (40 shrimp per kg) in theMekong Delta is 170,000 VND a kilo while the price of black tiger shrimp(also 40 per kg) is just 180,000 VND per kilo.

NhuVan Can, deputy head of the Aquaculture Cultivation Department of theDirectorate of Fisheries, said the area under white-legged shrimpcultivation had risen significantly because it has the advantage ofshorter breeding periods, and this helps reduce exposure to diseaseoutbreaks.

In addition, the production cost ofwhite-legged shrimp is about half of the production cost of black tigershrimp, he said.

However, when the area underwhite-legged shrimp cultivation expands at the current pace, there isthe danger that it will lead to a shortage of shrimp fry, more diseaseoutbreaks, and imbalances in supply and demand, he said.

Experts warn that the cultivation areas of white-legged shrimp shouldbe separate from that of black tiger shrimp as the former can carry manydisease germs.

If the area under white-leggedshrimp cultivation continues expanding rapidly as is happening now,supply will exceed demand and price will fall, they said, adding thatcompetent agencies should step in and control the situation.-VNA