Vannamei Shrimp and its prospect in coming years for Bangladesh

 

Vannamei Shrimp and its prospect

in coming years for Bangladesh

Vannamei shrimp (Penaeus vannamei), which is naturally found in eastern Pacific Ocean sometimes called white legged shrimp, Pacific white shrimp, or Mexican white shrimp. It has a carapace length of 90 mm and can reach a maximum length of 230 mm (9.1 in) (3.5 in). The rostrum is medium in length and has two to four teeth on the ventral side and seven to ten teeth on the dorsal side. While juveniles reside in estuaries, adults live in the ocean at depths of up to 72 meters (236 feet).

In 1973, Florida became the first state to try shrimp aquaculture. Currently, this shrimp is being grown for commercial purposes in 62 countries, 15 of which are in Asia. Due to the reduced price compared to Tiger prawns, it is much sought after on the international market. Commercial Vannamei shrimp farming started in the Philippines in 1987, Thailand and China in 1988, Vietnam and Myanmar in 2000, and India in 2008.

 

Future prospects of Vannamei Shrimp for Bangladesh:

Although shrimp production began in the late 1960s and became popular in the 1980s, the growth in shrimp exports increased steadily throughout the early 2000s as a result of international and national interventions. From the fiscal years (FY) 2010–11 to 2013–14, Bangladesh shrimp export values increased the most with Freshwater Prawns (Golda Shrimp) and Tiger Prawns (Bagda).

Bangladesh used to be the second-largest exporter of shrimp, but in recent years it has struggled to compete with increased imports and has dropped to seventh. Only 35 of the 105 frozen shrimp production facilities in the nation are currently in use. Because of a lack of raw materials, others have closed.

80% of the $32 billion global shrimp market is now made up of the high-yielding Vannamei, according to the Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA). Due to its low price, its popularity has increased quickly, but because there is no commercial production, Bangladeshi processing facilities are unable to obtain enough shrimp. Bangladesh is the only country where commercial Vannamei shrimp farming has not yet begun, despite this substantial increase. Currently, Baghda shrimp costs about $2–3 more per pound on the international market than Vannamei shrimp. Vannamei shrimp, a struggling shrimp, can be introduced to rebalance Bangladesh's shrimp industry.

However, whereas Vannamei Shrimp can also be produced three times in the same land in a year, Golda and Bagda Shrimps cannot be produced on any area more than twice annually. While Bangladesh's shrimp industry struggles, the relatively high yielding Vannamei Shrimp, with its low production costs and simple availability, has been dominating the global market.

The Bangladeshi government finally approved two pilot projects in 2020 to carry out Vannamei production on a trial basis with AgroBusiness Enterprise, Sushilan, MU Seafood, Fahim Sea Food Limited and Grotec Aquaculture Limited at Paikgachha, Khulna and Cox’s Bazar in order to gauge the success rate, following 15 years of pressure from shrimp exporters to allow the production of Vannamei shrimp in the nation.

According to Md. Golam Mostafa, a former president of the Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association, vannamei captured 80% of the global market for shrimp exports, while black tiger's share fell to only 10% due to high production costs because vannamei is produced at a rate 20 times higher than the local product.

In a one-acre brackish water pond at the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) in Paikgachha, Khulna, vannamei shrimp were raised last year. The shrimp were captured on August 5 at an age of 88 days. It was discovered that the yield from the same-sized pond increased by 344 kg when compared to last year.

The hopeful outcome has given the farmers cause for optimism, and they have demanded the opportunity for Vannamei shrimp commercial farming as soon as feasible.

Bangladesh has a 580-kilometer porous coastline, and the brackish water near Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira and Cox’s Bazar in the south east and west makes for the ideal environment for shrimp farming. By exporting vannamei shrimp to Europe, the United States, and a few other countries, the nation can earn some valuable dollars each year which will provide a means of livelihood for about 800,000 farmers.

The shrimp industry is currently waiting on official authorisation to begin commercial production of the species, which won't happen for another three to four years. By engaging in commercial farming with the support of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, enterprises hope to see the benefits of Vannamei shrimp farming.