Shrimp Industry Seeks PM's Help to Rescue Crisis as Exports Plummet by 720 Billion Baht
Thailand's shrimp industry has sought urgent government intervention as disease outbreaks and rising costs have slashed exports by 720 billion baht over 13 years. Industry groups propose an 11-point restructuring plan with 5.5 billion baht
Thailand's shrimp industry associations have submitted an urgent letter to the Prime Minister and four relevant ministries requesting immediate intervention to address a deepening crisis. According to Akkarapoj Yodpinit, chairman of the Thai Shrimp Association, the letter was co-submitted by allied shrimp farmers and the Thai Frozen Food Association to the Ministries of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Commerce, Energy, and Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, urging coordinated action across the entire supply chain.
The industry is proposing a national-priority action plan comprising 11 measures with a budget allocation of 5.537 billion baht to restructure the entire shrimp sector. The proposals include expanding domestic and international markets, promoting solar-powered shrimp farms, researching disease solutions, and developing microbial management systems to reduce costs and improve competitiveness.
Akkarapoj explained that Thailand's shrimp industry was once a world champion, generating substantial export revenue and supporting over 2 million people across the production chain. However, since an acute disease outbreak began in 2012, annual shrimp production has plummeted to just 270,000-280,000 tons, with only 160,000 tons reaching processing factories. This has resulted in annual export losses of approximately 60 billion baht, representing a cumulative economic opportunity cost of over 720 billion baht across 13 years.
Despite farmers and industry stakeholders' independent efforts to address the crisis, they have been unable to reverse the decline. The primary obstacle remains disease, which constrains production and keeps costs uncompetitively high compared to rival nations. "This letter to the Prime Minister and four ministries is an urgent call for the government to recognize the severity of the situation," Akkarapoj stated. "Without implementing coordinated measures that all stakeholders agree on, Thailand's shrimp industry may collapse entirely, which would be tragic given our competitive advantages in production capacity, quality, food safety standards, and traceability systems."
Akkarapoj expressed confidence that with government support and implementation of the proposed measures, the structural problems plaguing the entire industry could be resolved, potentially restoring Thailand's shrimp sector as a major driver of national economic growth.
