AGRICULTURE

Australian standards a threat

Thai shrimp exports to Australia could drop by 15,000 tonnes, or two billion baht per year, if the Australian government imposes tougher food-safety standards, according to the National Food Institute.

Biosecurity Australia, a state agency, is currently holding public hearings on a draft Import Risk Analysis (IRA) for shrimp and shrimp products. It would require imported shrimp to be completely free from a number of viruses. They include white spot, yellowhead and taura viruses as well as other symptoms.

"Due to the fact that Australia is a key export market for Thai shrimp, Thailand's shrimp industry and local exporters will inevitably be affected by the IRA," said Yuthasak Supasorn, executive director of the National Food Institute.

Thai shrimp exports to Australia have increased continuously compared with overall export volume. They accounted for 5.1% of the country's overall shrimp exports in 2006, up from to 3.7% in 2005 and 3.0% in 2002.

However, the overall value of exports to Australia dropped to 2.6% of the country's total in 2006, compared with 3.4% in 2005. This was mainly because local farms were breeding white prawns rather than the more expensive black tiger prawns.

Updated information showed that white prawns accounted for 90% of total prawns farmed in Thailand.

Mr Yuthasak said export prices and sizes of white prawns were smaller than those of black tiger prawns. Therefore, Thailand earned less from shrimp exports, despite the volume increases.

In 2006, total shrimp export volume from Thailand to Australia was 17,840 tonnes worth 2.29 billion baht.

The United States is the largest export market for Thai shrimp, followed by the European Union, Japan, Canada, South Korea and Australia, respectively.

Bangkok Post

Friday April 06, 2007