The Hindu Business Line : Indian shrimp prices slide in US market

PRICE of shrimp imported from India, across most varieties has fallen in the US markets, even as price of imports from Thailand, Vietnam and Bangladesh have remained more or less stable.

The price fall was most visible in frozen black tiger exports to the US, while the peeled and de-veined variety remained stable in both tail-on and tail-off segments.

The easing of prices was evident on a month-to-month basis on Indian shrimp imports between July 8 and August 5.

The average FOB prices for Indian frozen black tiger in New York market for the 8/15 count stood at $9.25 per pound as on July 8 and August 5. Prices for 12/15 count fell to $7.25 ($7.45), 16/20 count were $5.90 ($5.95), 21/25 at $4.35 ($4.45) and 26/30 count was $3.75 ($3.90).

Elaborating on the reasons for the price fall, sources in the seafood trade said the firm price trends of the past two weeks were confined only to Indian shrimp and so it was not surprising that the price fall was also restricted mainly to imports of Indian origin.

But with most of the aquaculture shrimps having been harvested by February/March, this was the off-season for Indian shrimp farms and it was not a glut in supply that was driving down the prices, they said.

With the post-tsunami catch yet to stabilise, the catch from the sea has also been on the lower side.

In the value-added segment, most counts of Indian peeled and de-veined shrimp both tail-on and tail-off variety have remained steady to firm. But for the 31/40 count in the peeled de-veined tail-on category that fell, the prices of all other categories have either increased or remained steady.

The prices for several tail-on varieties had grown during last week. Similarly, in the tail-off category, the prices remained firm after having risen during last week.

In most of the value added segments, cooked and de-veined varieties, peeled and de-veined blocks and individually quick frozen segments, India does not have a significant presence in the US markets.

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