Prices of shrimps in Mekong Delta provinces decline heavily

According to the departments of fisheries of provinces in the Mekong Delta, the prices of material shrimps have continuously dropped steeply in the past days, raising concerns among shrimp-farming households.

Particularly, white-leg shrimps sized 100 pcs per kilogram declined to VND65,000-VND70,000 per kilogram, down VND20,000-VND25,000 per kilogram compared to the same period last year and lower than the cost prices by VND10,000-VND15,000 per kilogram; giant tiger shrimps sized 40 pcs per kilogram fell to VND130,000-VND140,000 per kilogram, a fairly low price level.

Seafood export enterprises in the Mekong Delta explained that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused many shrimp import markets in the world to slump heavily, thereby export orders have also decreased by an average of 30-50 percent in tandem.

Besides, many shrimp-farming households in the Mekong Delta are also facing difficulties as unfavorable weather has made shrimps sick and dead a lot. In Tra Vinh Province, more than 165 hectares of giant tiger shrimps with a total number of 58.4 million juvenile shrimps of 446 households and more than 203 hectares of white-leg shrimps with a total number of 145 million juvenile shrimps of 701 households were damaged. Many households said that shrimps were killed by sudden weather changes. The weather was hot during the day and was cold at night. Moreover, the saltwater intrusion was earlier this year, affecting the pond environment, making shrimps sick. Most shrimps were dead during the period of 20-45 days old.

At the present, the departments of fisheries of provinces in the Mekong Delta recommended that farmers should constantly monitor environmental factors in their ponds, weather changes, and salinity level to timely take measures to minimize losses.