Opening up new markets and resuming exports to Mexico are two of the goals that entrepreneurs in the aquaculture sector have set for 2018.
Authorities at the Ministry of Economic Development indicated that the aquaculture and fishing sector will have closed 2017 with exports of more than $300 million, led by sales of tilapia and shrimp.
The Hernández administration has denounced the fact that Guatemalan authorities are imposing non-tariff barriers on the entry of chicken from Honduras.
The head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras, Jacobo Paz, announced that since they have not been able to resolve the problem with their counterparts in Guatemala, they will submit the case to the Council of the Minister of Economic Integration (Comieco).
Honduran farmers are looking for alternatives to commercialize milk in the Salvadoran market, by giving sanitary certification to artisanal dairy plants.
In light of an oversupply of milk that is affecting the Honduran livestock sector, producers are looking for neighboring markets where they can export milk.They report that many of the plants in Honduras are not receiving the surplus product because they do not have the capacity to process it.
The government has authorized the importation of two small onion quotas for the months of June and July.
The Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock, Jacobo Paz, explained that they will be small purchases,"... between 25 and 30 containers ...", less than the 68 containers that are usually imported at this time of the year.
Arguing the presence of disease in the product, the farmers of Sinaloa, Sonora, Nayarit and Michoacan are asking the government to prevent the entry of Honduran shrimp.
If the Mexican government approves the blockade, Honduran producers estimate that 15 million pounds of shrimp will be left without access to the Mexican market.
Jacobo Paz, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG), told Laprensa.hn that "... the presence of the disease in the country has not been proven and what has been recorded are cases of vibriosis due to lack of rainfall during 2014 and 2015, which caused increased salinity in the Gulf of Fonseca and, consequently, an increase in mortality of shrimp. "
The government is looking for alternatives to resolve the conflict between producers and traders, which has generated shortages and led to a rise in prices.
In recent weeks the shortage of meat in the country has caused an increase in prices in the market, despite being one of the products in a list whose prices are controlled.
Producers in Honduras have denounced the existence of an alleged trade triangulation in which Guatemalan companies are importing shrimp from Ecuador to then export them to Mexico.
This commercial triangulation, according to the National Aquaculture Association of Honduras (Andah), creates unfair competition and affects the performance of local industry, and could even be one reason behind the decline in product prices. The Andah has requested the intervention of the national government to take steps to solve the problem.
In Honduras shrimp producers may use landconcessions granted by the State as collateral for loans to banks and financial institutions.
As part of the law to strengthen shrimp farming, there is a now a new legal instrument which will allow producers to use concession contracts awarded by the State as collateral for loans from financial institutions, whether they be national or international.
The government has announced that it is in talks with US company to offer conditions to install a chocolate producing plant in the country.
A visit has been scheduled for January 2015 for businessmen from The Hershey Company, who will verify the quality of Honduran cacao as a raw material for producing chocolate.
The government of Honduras has announced that it will continue spraying trucks from El Salvador, due to the presence of a pest, but without charging the fee of $10 as it has so far done.
Fumigation of all trucks leaving the Salvadoran borders is essential since the presence of the pink hibiscus mealybug pest was detected in some shipments in recent weeks.
Without the backing of producers, manufacturers are negotiating with the government permission to import 25,000 tonnes of duty free rice.
Although producers claim that local production is enough to meet domestic demand, the industry has asked the government to issue formal authorization before September in order to proceed with the purchase.
Shrimp exports to the European Union could be affected by allegations of environmental damage caused by illegal shrimp farming in wetland areas.
The National Aquaculture Association of Honduras (Andah) has expressed concern about the consequences of illegal shrimp farming and the illegal construction of ponds for their production.
By sending trade missions to China, participating in exhibitions worldwide and organizing visits to local shrimp plants, the country aims to conquer the Chinese market.
Jacobo Paz, President of the National Aquaculture Association of Honduras (Andah in Spanish) said, "The Republic of China is being viewed as a potential market. China is a huge market that certainly has its special characteristics, Asian consumers are different to European ones. However, it is a promising market for Honduran shrimp. "
In Honduras, shrimp farmers expect to reach a production of 50 million pounds for 2009.
While prices of the larger-sized crustaceans have decreased due to the global crisis, small and medium sized shrimp prices are stable, so expectations for exporting that amount of production are good.
The harvest of shrimp at the end of April reached 80 million pounds, which is equivalent to $150 million.
While prices of some sizes of shrimp have declined, mainly for large shrimp which are more expensive due to their size, the industry expects export volume not to decline in 2009.
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