Thai shrimp production is expected to decrease by 4% year-on-year because of disease outbreaks and falling prices, says the Thai Shrimp Association.
Ekapoj Yodpinit, president of the association, said total shrimp production in 2024 is predicted to fall to 270,000 tonnes, from 280,000 tonnes last year.
The decline is attributed to disease outbreaks and unstable weather, which affect the quality of baby shrimp and farming conditions.
Falling prices have also prompted some farmers to postpone their new farming cycles.
In response to these challenges, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry has prioritised addressing sea shrimp sector issues as part of the national agenda.
A major concern is the persistent early mortality syndrome (EMS), which has burdened farmers for 11 years and seems beyond their capacity to tackle alone.
The industry urged the government to implement effective measures to resolve the disease problem within three years. Successful efforts could help farmers meet production targets, while returning a high-quality food to the market and revitalising this crucial industry.
"The industry wants the government to allocate 2 billion baht to address shrimp industry challenges, which could potentially mitigate more than 600 billion baht in losses, while increasing high-quality Thai shrimp production to 400,000 tonnes in three years," Mr Ekapoj said.
The upper southern region contributes 37% of total Thai shrimp output, with the lower southern (Andaman coast) adding 23%, the eastern region 20%, central region 10% and lower southern region, in the Gulf of Thailand, 10%.
Global shrimp production is expected to tally 5.04 million tonnes this year, a 4% drop year-on-year, with major producers such as China, Ecuador, India and Vietnam also reporting a decline.
From January to October, Thailand exported 109,048 tonnes of shrimp, valued at 34 billion baht, a 1% drop in volume and a 6% decline in value year-on-year.
For 2024, Thailand is projected to export 120,000-130,000 tonnes of shrimp, worth about 40 billion baht, similar to last year. However, if EMS remains unresolved, exports could stagnate in both volume and value in 2025, noted the association.
Key export markets for Thai shrimp are Japan, the US, China, South Korea and Taiwan, according to Mr Ekapoj.
He said Ecuador, the world's largest shrimp producer, is a competitor to Thai exports. Ecuador produces 1.3-1.4 million tonnes of shrimp annually, contributing 20% of its GDP.
Any price dumping in the global market could affect Thai shrimp exports, said Mr Ekapoj.