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.
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"]
From January to June 2019, companies in Central American countries exported frozen shrimp and prawns for $116 million, and sales to the United Kingdom grew by 19% over the same period in 2018.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphics"]
From January to March 2019, companies from Central American countries exported frozen shrimp and prawns for $59 million, and sales to the United Kingdom grew 39% over the same period in 2018.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAPHIC caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
In the first half of the year, Central American countries exported frozen shrimp and prawns for $207 million, 53% more than during the same period in 2017.
Figures from the information system on the frozen shrimp and prawns market in Central America complied by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
Due to excessive rainfall in Honduras, shrimp companies estimate that the shrimp losses could reach $100 million.
The executive director of the Asociacion Nacional de Acuicultores de Honduras (Andah), Javier Amador, said to Latribuna.hn that "... The shrimp lagoons are protected by embankments to retain the water and they were destroyed by the force of the rivers.
Because the creation of a new sanitary regulation in Mexico will take more than three months, it will be almost impossible to resume exports of fresh Honduran shrimp to the North American country this year.
Mexico's blockade of Honduran shrimp imports has been in effect since October 20 last year, after Mexican authorities cited the presence of yellow head disease in the product purchased.
In the first quarter of the year, Central American countries exported $90 million worth of frozen shrimp and langoustine, which is 76% more than in the same period in 2017, mainly due to sales to the US and Taiwan.
Figures from the information system on the Market for Frozen Shrimp and Langoustine in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
New requirements that Mexican authorities intend to place on shrimp imports cultivated in Honduras do not indicate, at least in the short term, that there will be an eventual suspension of the blockade.
Suppliers of raw materials and services for aquaculture are being called on to take part in a symposium to be held in Antigua from June 6 to 8, 2018.
The union of Guatemalan exporters is organizing the event, in which suppliers of the sector will be able to showcase their products and services to the more than 200 local and international participants that are expected to attend the activity.
In 2017, the value of Central American sales of fish, molluscs and crustaceans to companies in Mexico amounted to $69 million, 19% more than was exported in 2016.
Figures from the information system on the the Market for Fish, Molluscs and Crustaceans in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
Between January and September of 2017, Central American countries exported $275 million worth of frozen shrimp and langoustine, 22% more than in the same period in 2016.
Figures from the information system on the Market for Shrimp and Frozen Langoustine in CentralAmerica compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graph"]
It has been four months since Mexican authorities blocked shrimp imports from Honduras, with no solution in sight in the short term.
Alleging the presence of the yellow head disease, a blockade has been in effect in the North American country since October 20.
As a result of a commercial dispute, sales of shrimp abroad declined in thelast year. According to the Honduran association of fish farmers, between 2016 and 2017 the export volume fell from 13.9 million pounds to 10.7 million pounds, which is equivalent to a reduction of 23%.