Senate Petition Submitted to Revive Thai Shrimp Industry and Restore Global Market Competitiveness
Thai shrimp farmers have petitioned the Senate to adopt 11 measures to revive the industry and restore Thailand's dominance in global markets, which have been hampered since a 2012 disease outbreak caused production to plummet from 640,000
Thai shrimp farmers have petitioned the Senate to implement 11 measures across 38 activities to revive the industry, boost production, and reduce costs so Thailand can regain its competitive edge in global shrimp markets. Ekkaphoj Yodpinit, chairman of the Thai Shrimp Association, along with Abhichit Vorgkij and Chupong Luesukhprasert from the frozen food sector, submitted their request to Senate President Mongkol Surasathya at an academic seminar held at Diamond Plaza Hotel in Surat Thani province, received by first vice-president Gen. Krienggrai Srirak.
The association proposes implementing an 11-point action plan previously presented by the Department of Fisheries to enable the Thai shrimp industry to recover and increase quality shrimp production to meet the target of 400,000 tons for processing facilities while reducing production costs to restore Thailand's global competitiveness. Ekkaphoj emphasized that Thai shrimp maintains competitive advantages in quality, food safety, environmentally responsible production methods, and value-added processing capabilities through modern cold storage and export facilities.
Historically, Thailand's shrimp industry was a major economic driver for over a decade, ranking first globally in shrimp production and exports. At its peak in 2010, production exceeded 640,000 tons with export values surpassing 110 billion baht in 2011, generating employment and income for over 2 million people across the supply chain. However, since the early mortality syndrome outbreak in 2012, production has declined to 270,000-280,000 tons with export values dropping to approximately 40 billion baht, resulting in cumulative economic losses exceeding 500 billion baht over 13 years. Competing nations like Ecuador and India have meanwhile expanded their market share globally.
Current 2025 production comprises 260,000 tons of white shrimp and 20,000 tons of black tiger shrimp, with 160,000 tons serving as raw material for processing facilities and 120,000 tons for domestic consumption. Major challenges facing shrimp farmers include diseases such as white spot syndrome, early mortality syndrome, white feces disease, and yellow head virus, which have prevented successful farming operations.
