Fish exports down

Decreased fish production from local trawlers this year will lead to shortfall from this year’s revenue target of US$700 million, experts said.

U Han Htun, executive vice president of Myanmar Fisheries Federation, said that revenues through the first seven months of the fiscal year have decreased 9.69 percent to just $298 million compared to the same period last year as trawlers are experiencing higher production costs that are leading to decreased fish trawls.

“This time last year, fisheries export income had reached about $330 million. We are guessing that we will not be able to reach that target,” he said.

Domestic prices rose on average $1.5 a kilo this year for all fish products as shrimp prices increased from K6800 to K8000 a viss (one viss equals 1.6kg or 3.6 pounds), said U Myo Nyunt, general manager of General Food Technology and Industrial (GFTI).

“As domestic prices rise because of production costs, raw production is down, and so are our exports,” he told The Myanmar Times.

However, the border trade sector is improving compared to last year, said a spokesperson for Yangon Region fisheries department. Of the $298 million in revenues generated this year, domestic fish sales brought in $143 million while the remainder came from exports.

“Most fisheries cannot produce enough fish to support the export market,” U Htun Aye, joint secretary of the Myanmar Fisheries Products Processors’ and Exporters’ Association said, adding that there are not enough trawlers in the waters.

The supply deficit comes in part due to insufficient capital from the local population to build and operate fisheries as larger firms are uncertain of profitability in the sector, said MFF general secretary U Win Kyaing.

In the last year fiscal year, Myanmar’s fisheries earned a total $653 million in income.

source: The Myanmar Times
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/8655-fish-exports-down.html