Indonesia Shrimp Encouraging Global

In his speech, Deny Mulyono, Chairman of GPMT (Association of Animal Feed Companies), said that everything related to it would follow when the market grows. This ISR event, he said, is not just about the feed mill company but will also discuss the market condition. He hopes that all stakeholders, including farmers, processing players, and feed mills, will have a better understanding of the current market. “How do we meet the market’s demand, and how can we open the access to shrimp market as widely as possible so that business will flourish and be sustainable,” he said.

Pamudi, a USSEC Technical Consultant for Aquaculture in Indonesia, hopes that The Indonesia Shrimp Retreat (ISR) can accommodate what is currently needed by the Indonesian shrimp industry. Therefore, in 2023 the event’s theme is about the carrying capacity and shrimp trading market. In the near future, the theme will change accordingly depending on the conditions of the industry.

Tb Haeru Rahayu, Indonesia’s Ministry for Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) Director General for Aquaculture, said that Indonesia is currently shifting the cultivation paradigm. He explained that the current aquaculture development policy focuses not only on production. However, the policy overall is shifting its focus to an aquaculture industry that is sustainable, independent, competitive, and focused on high-economic-value commodities. “Aquaculture must apply the Blue Economy concept. By focusing on the spirit of ‘Ecology as the Commander,’ we will support economic and environmental sustainability,” he em- phasized.

Meanwhile, according to Deny, the price issue is still a problem that haunts shrimp farmers. The price level in the first quarter of 2023 gives hope, even though it still has yet to reach the level of the third quarter of 2022. “This price issue is affected by supply and demand,” he stressed.

Price Improvement

China’s foreign policy that unilaterally blocked products from Ecuador from entering its country had a significant impact on the position of Indonesia in the US market. This condition, Deny observed, will continue as long as Ecuador manages to serve the US market. “It could be worse if China, previously the main export destination of Ecuadorian shrimp, tightens their restrictions like what they did last year,” he told THE CRUST.

As long as there is no significant change in shrimp demand from the US market, he continued, the market competition will continue to exist. However, according to his insight, shrimp farmers in Indonesia can achieve the best efficiency by increasing the survival rate (SR) in intensive cultivation. Moreover, farmers should look into other potential export markets with high seafood demand but lack the resources to produce themselves.

Deny explained that shrimp prices had plunged deeply since the third quarter of 2022 and had only begun to creep up in the first quarter of 2023. The data shows that Indonesia’s shrimp price is more competitive than Vietnam, although still at a comparable level to India’s. However, we must