Indonesia shrimp exports drop 11 percent in 1998<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Foreign exchange earnings from shrimp exports
\nincreased by 11 percent to US$1.5 billion last year from $1.35
\nbillion in 1997, an executive said here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Shrimp Feedmeal
\nProducers Johannes Kitono said that in terms of volume Indonesian
\nshrimp exports increased by 3.8 percent to 108,000 metric tons in
\n1998 from 103,950 tons in 1997.<\/p>\n
\"But the growth in exports in the last year was much lower
\nthan the 16.24 percent increase recorded in 1997,\" he said at a
\nseminar on shrimp cultivation.<\/p>\n
This lower growth, he said, was partly due to the rampant
\nlooting of shrimp ponds which had resulted in lower production
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Johannes said Indonesian shrimp exporters should diversify
\ntheir markets if they wanted to increase their world market
\nshare.<\/p>\n
He said that local shrimp exporters were too proud of being
\nthe biggest exporter of shrimps and prawns to Japan, making them
\nreluctant to look into other potential markets.<\/p>\n
\"The United States market has great potential. Many Americans
\nhave shifted their diet from red meat to white meat. They now see
\nshrimps and prawns as their main sea food,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said Indonesia's shrimp exports to the U.S increased by 19
\npercent to 15,285 metric tons last year from 12,824 tons in 1997.<\/p>\n
But Johannes said that weak trade diplomacy has put Indonesia
\nfar behind Thailand in benefiting from U.S. market potential.<\/p>\n
Thailand has been the biggest shrimp exporter to the U.S in
\nthe past three years while Indonesia ranks fifth. Last year,
\nThailand exported 92,265 tons of shrimps and prawns there.<\/p>\n
He said Thailand has successfully convinced the U.S government
\nthat the shrimps exported were from cultivated ponds and not from
\nmarine catches. The U.S government has embargoed shrimps and
\nprawns caught from the sea since 1996 because this would threaten
\nthe life of several protected marine animals like sea turtles.<\/p>\n
He also said that Thailand's shrimp and prawn products had met
\nU.S standards, while many of Indonesia's shrimp exports were
\nstill being rejected because they did not meet those standards.<\/p>\n
Johannes also said that the government has to work very hard
\nto meet the target of 1 million tons of shrimps and to export
\n600,000 metric tons by 2003.<\/p>\n
\"The plan would need an investment of about Rp 39.45 trillion
\nin order to expand shrimp ponds and to improve quality. However,
\nthis is very hard given the small budget allocated by the
\ngovernment to the fisheries sector,\" he said. (gis)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-shrimp-exports-drop-11-percent-in-1998-1447893297",
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