Africa’s shrimp production will benefit from the rising value of wild shrimp, seen as a premium market niche, said Nacho Cuevas, general director at Spanish shrimp producer Gambastar, speaking at the World Shrimp Congress held in Vigo, Spain on Tuesday.
“Wild shrimp is considered a premium product, and prices are rising due to its increased scarcity, said Cuevas, cited by Undercurrentnews.com.
He reportedly noted that aquaculture production could also drive Africa’s growth, as the continent holds high potential for shrimp aquaculture development and organic production.
He added that political and legal conditions formed important challenges to Africa’s growth as a producing shrimp region, noting: “There are threats such as the lack of legal infrastructure, political and institutional sustainability, and lack of regional cooperation.” The low investment level in the shrimp fishing industry is another problem to consider, he said.
Africa’s shrimp production is insignificant on the global scale, representing just 2.7% of worldwide wild shrimp production and just 0.16% of farmed shrimp.
Across Africa, 13 countries contribute to 80% of the continent’s total shrimp production.
Nigeria is the largest producer, with 23 000 tonnes per annum (tpa); followed by Madagascar (15 000tpa), Cameroon (11 000tpa) and Mozambique (10 000tpa).
‘Africa could up its exports as wild shrimp prices rise’
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