The increased
demand for Black Tiger Shrimp in world markets
has encouraged many developing countries to
enter into the practice of shrimp farming. Thailand
has become the world's leader in shrimp exports.
The largest export markets for Thai Black Tiger
Shrimp are the United States and Japan and the
demand is increasing yearly.
Production of
farmed Black Tiger Shrimp has grown at the phenomenal
rate of 20-30% per year in the last two decades.
The culture of
Black Tiger Shrimp is basically a two-step process
composed of a broodstock-hatchery phase for
producing seed or postlarvae and a grow-out
phase usually in earthen culture ponds for ongrowing
of fry to marketable size. (Sometimes a nursery
for rearing of postlarvae to larger juveniles
is incorporated.) When the industry is highly
developed, specialization includes producers
or manufacturers of farm equipment, algal feeds,
formulated feeds, spawners, nauplii and services
(for pond cleaning, harvesting, etc.). Around
114,000 persons were employed in 19,000 Thai
shrimp farms.
Because of the
volumes of shrimp harvested and amounts of water
utilized, it is the grow-out phase that generates
most of the profits, and problems, in shrimp
aquaculture. Grow-out or farming systems for
shrimp are classified into four categories--traditional,
extensive, semi-intensive and intensive-- characterized
by increasing stocking rates supported by corresponding
feed and water management inputs.
Traditional
culture with stocking rates below 10,000 fry/ha
(<1/sq m) often in polyculture with fish, and
average production not exceeding 500 kg/ha/yr
depends completely on natural food and tidal
flushing. Supplemental wet or dry feeds and
pumping are used only occasionally in extensive
culture and more regularly in semi-intensive
farming as densities increase to 10,000-30,000/ha
(1-3/sq m) and 30,000-100,000/ha (3-10/sq m),
respectively.
In intensive
ponds where fry are stocked at 10-30/sq m or
more, feeding and water management are completely
dependent on formulated pellets, pumps and aerators.
Average yearly production is 0.6- 1.5 mt, 2-6
mt and 7-15 mt, respectively for extensive,
semi- intensive and intensive culture.
Intensive farming
is characterized on a per kilogram basis by
low fixed cost because of high productivity
per area, but high variable cost mainly for
feeds and water quality maintenance. Profitability
depends on market price and production costs.
If market prices are favorable, intensive farming
remains profitable from the sheer volume of
production; once prices drop, so does profitability.
Know
more about our black tiger shrimps
Semi-intensive
farms will survive because of relatively higher
productivity at lower production costs. Intensive
farms had higher profitability compared to semi-intensive
farms on a per hectare basis but a lower profit
per kilogram. Low-density (2/sq m) culture gave
higher income per kilogram but lower profit
per hectare than high-density (above 10/sq m)
farms.In Indonesia, gross and net profits increase
with intensification of culture but so does
breakeven price.
Siam
Canadian Foods Co., Ltd.
9th Floor, Suite 283/44, Home Place Office Building.
283 Thonglor 13, Sukhumvit 55
Kongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110,
THAILAND
Call us at +66-2-185-3311
Fax: +66-2-185-3317
Email us at info@siamcanadian.com
