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CHENNAI, Jan. 29

SHRIMP prices currently range around $12.50-12.60 per kg 16/20 counts for black tiger. But these find no buyers with most of the importers based in Japan concentrating on the Indonesian market, where cheaper stocks are on offer, according to market sources.

Therefore, with no activity, there is some concern in the market despite an actual lack of pressure to sell. Shrimp farms are yet to commence stocking of the ponds, and there are no arrivals in the market. Some stocks are available at around Rs 400 per kg 30 counts on head-on basis, they said.

For now, there is unlikely to be any major activity with importers staying away and the lack of production. Adverse weather conditions have delayed seeding operations at the shrimp farms in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The slump in shrimp seed prices has hit the hatcheries, they said.

Indonesia and some of the other South-East Asian Countries are able to offer stocks at lower prices ranging around $12.40 because of certain bottlenecks in exporting to the EU, they said. Following a recent clamping down on seafood imports by the EU and some stringent regulations announced by the US exports to these markets have dropped. This follows concerns over antibiotics residues, particularly chloramphenicol, in seafood imports from the production centres. Therefore, with inventories piling-up Japan was the only consumption market available to Indonesia and some of the other South-East Asian countries, said sources.

With the farms in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu expected to commence stocking operations in February, shrimp arrivals are expected from April onwards. Some increase in demand might be expected from Japan with the golden week festival in April, and possibly to meet the increased restaurant sale expected during the world cup season in Japan and Korea, they said.

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