For the third quarter of 2021, sales of frozen shrimp and prawns in Central America showed a slight increase in the region, reaching $241 million in exports, of which Honduras is the largest supplier with $188 million at $7.72 per ton.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"]
Between the third quarter of 2019 and the same period of 2020 the exported value of frozen shrimp and prawns registered a 6% decrease, going from $219 million to $205 million.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"]
The Law of Fisheries, Aquaculture and related activities was published in the Official Gazette. The law promotes the training of fishermen and establishes the participation of the sector in decision making.
The new legal framework establishes a National Fisheries Conservation and Administration Plan, creates the National Fisheries Information and Statistics System, eliminates discretionally in fisheries management and promotes good fishing practices.
Thailand and Spain are markets with global potential to increase their consumption of frozen tuna, and in the case of fresh or refrigerated tuna fillets, the United States is expected to increase its demand in the coming years.
As new lifestyles in Europe are increasing the need for easy-to-use/prepare and value-added fish formats as consumers find it difficult to cook and prepare fish, tuna has multiple opportunities in the present and future.
From January to June 2020, companies from Central American countries exported frozen shrimp and prawns for $60 million, and sales to the United Kingdom grew by 36% compared to the same period in 2019.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Area of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
Because in today's business reality many people prefer to spend more time at home and cook their own food, the demand for easy-to-prepare processed seafood has grown.
At a global level, changes in consumer behavior have been reported, because of the quarantines decreed in several countries of the world by the outbreak of covid-19, people's habits, tastes and preferences have been changing.
Following the approval of the law on trawling in the country, fishermen's unions announced that they will hold demonstrations so that the Alvarado administration can veto the law.
After a long discussion about the benefits it will bring to a group of fishermen and the harm it could cause to others, the trawling bill was approved in the second debate with a vote of 28 deputies in favor and 18 against, the Legislative Assembly reported.
From January to March 2020, companies from Central American countries exported frozen shrimp and prawns for $60 million, and sales to Taiwan grew by 56% compared to the same period in 2019.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
The Costa Rican Tuna Industry Chamber warned about the possibility that the government will publish a decree that would extend the ban zone for the purse tuna fishery to a distance of between 100 and 150 miles from the Pacific coast.
According to the sector's union, this decree, which is in the drafting stage, would put at risk the fulfillment of the export commitments of canned fish to the world's main markets.
Since March, when the first cases of covid-19 were detected and consumption patterns began to change, interest in seafood rebounded in all markets in the region and by the end of August the volume of interactions associated with the issue continued to rise.
Through a system that monitors changes in consumer interests and preferences in Central American countries in real time, developed by CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project short and long-term demand trends for the different products, sectors and markets that operate in the region.
The growing uncertainty about the safety of seafood products exported from China, one of the world's leading producers, could represent an opportunity for Central American countries to gain some insight into the global market.
In this context of new commercial reality, the retail channel will continue to be the main demander in the short term for products that are easy to prepare such as tilapia, salmon, trout, shrimp and others with which consumers feel more comfortable cooking at home.
Given the rise in tuna consumption reported between February and August, in Costa Rica the company that owns Sardimar increased its production by 25%.
After the context of the new commercial reality that arose from the outbreak of covid-19 the demand for tuna increased, Alimentos Prosalud, owner of Sardimar, hired more than 300 additional employees to work in its plant in Barranca, Puntarenas.
During the first half of 2020, shrimp exports to Taiwan totaled 7.8 million pounds, a volume that is 75% higher than that reported for the same period in 2019.
Figures from the National Association of Aquaculture Producers of Honduras (Andah) show that the Taiwanese market is one of the most consolidated in recent years, since between the first half of 2019 and the same period of 2020, exports of Honduran shrimp to that destination increased by 3.36 million pounds, from 4.44 to 7.79 million pounds.
Nearby CIFCO, in San Salvador, is a sales point that, at a distance of 15 minutes walking, holds a captive market of 23 thousand people who together spend $6.5 million, and of them, 10% show interest in seafood.
In CentralAmericaData we developed a geomarketing tool based on interactive maps, through which you can identify where people are and what characteristics they have as consumers. The map incorporates, for any Central American country, the variables population, income, average monthly expenditure and consumer interests. With this information, it is possible to identify potential clients and define promotional strategies accordingly, or also explore home delivery times from any sales point.
Camanica Zona Franca S.A., Agromania Rio Morote S.A. and Premezclas Latinoamericanas S.A., are part of the companies that in 2019 participated in the business of importing shrimp feed in the region.
The market study "Food for Shrimp in Central America", prepared by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData, details the main figures of the shrimp food import business and exports of the seafood in question.