Five key trading partners have so far been accountable for the steady export rates seen in the prawns and shrimps sub-sector of agriculture, which accounts for over 30 percent of the total value of agricultural exports.
With an annual inshore production of 17,654 metric tons and estimated value of N50 billion yearly, Netherlands serves as the largest export market for Nigeria, with over N12 billion worth of frozen prawns shipped there in the last two years. This is despite the fact that the value of export to the Netherlands plunged by 55.4 percent to N3.8 billion in 2018 from N8.6 billion in 2017. At the leading spot, export to Netherland was N1.18 billion in 2019 first quarter, followed by Belgium, France, Vietnam and the United States.
The total value of frozen shrimps and prawns exported to Belgium, Nigeria’s second largest importer was N0.8 billion and 2.9 billion in 2018 and 2017 respectively.
In third place is the US, with exports in 2018 valued at N0.6 billion and 1.1 billion in 2017. Value of exports to France stood at N0.4 billion in 2018 and N0.7 billion in 2017, making it the fourth largest destination for Nigeria’s prawns. Vietnam is the fifth, importing N0.04 billion in 2018 and N1.1 billion in 2017.
Frozen shrimps and prawns, alongside Seasamum seeds and cocoa contributed N86.1 billion agricultural exports in the first quarter of this year, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics data indicate.
In these markets, however, Nigeria has to contend with leading suppliers including Ecuador, Argentina and India. Together, they represented 43 percent of total European imports in 2016, according to CBI, a centre for the promotion of imports from developing countries. Other leading suppliers are Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Spain.
European imports of frozen shrimp and prawns, from 2012 to 2016, increased on average by 8.2 percent yearly, with imports growing from €2.8 billion to €3.9 billion. The growth was attributed to increase in imports of L. vannamei shrimp. Compared with 2015, the total imports value in 2016 increased by 4.8 percent.
The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium mainly import their shrimps from countries that produce both black tiger and L. vannamei shrimp, such as Vietnam, while Spain, France, and Italy mainly import L. vannamei shrimp.
Bangladesh takes a special role as supplying country; black tiger shrimps account for nearly 100 percent of the Bangladeshi shrimp production. A relatively large share of the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium imports comes from Bangladesh. In these countries, shrimp imports from Bangladesh account for 18 percent, 20 percent and 20 percent of their shrimp imports respectively.
Bangladesh, commanding 48 percent market share is the main exporter of black tiger shrimp to the European market. The country exported nearly twice as much to Europe as the second largest exporting country Vietnam, 26 percent. Together, they supplied almost three-quarters of total exports to Europe in 2016. India and Indonesia are significant exporters of black tiger shrimp to Europe as well. Malaysia and Philippines complete the list of exporters to Europe.
Myanmar is an upcoming exporter of both wild caught and farmed black tiger shrimps.
The top 3 exporters of black tiger shrimp to Europe all experienced a decline in exports over the last two years. In Vietnam, production of white leg shrimps has grown sharply since 2011, resulting in a declining export share of black tiger shrimp from 80 percent to 35 percent in 2016. In other countries, the share of black tiger shrimp in exports is also declining.
Considering many variables influencing shrimp market prices, CBI says it is difficult to forecast future demand. “Prices have a large influence on demand. In turn, prices are influenced by global availability and global demand. Both are difficult to predict,” the centre said in a report on shrimps and prawns.
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