Many 3-star shrimp production facilities in Dien Chau have stopped operating.

Shrimp has long been a famous specialty of the coastal areas of Nghe An in general and in the area.Dien Chau districtIn 2017, Dien Chau peeled shrimp was certified as a collective trademark. In 2021, Dien Chau peeled shrimp continued to be certified as achieving 3-star OCOP. It was thought that this would be a stepping stone for this product to rise up and affirm its position in the market. However, the production of peeled shrimp is currently facing a serious shortage of raw materials.

Traditional shrimp production facilities in Dien Chau are deserted due to lack of raw materials. Photo: QA

Visiting the shrimp production facility of Ms. Dao Thi Kim Oanh in Dien Ngoc commune, we noted that the traditional shrimp production equipment was lying motionless in the warehouse, and there was no longer the image of dozens of people jostling to do the job like before. Ms. Oanh said: “The output of shrimp has decreased sharply in recent times. Previously, on average, I could import 2-3 tons of fresh shrimp per day to produce shrimp, but now it is only a few hundred kilograms. The situation of raw materials being “sometimes male, sometimes female” like this makes production no longer continuous, the peak was in the previous months when we had to close and temporarily stop operations.”

This is also the common situation of dozens of households producing shrimp in Dien Ngoc commune at this time. According to Dien Ngoc commune authorities, the whole commune has 323 fishing boats with a monthly output of about 1,700 tons of all kinds, however, the output of fresh shrimp was only about 17 tons last month, lower than other types of seafood.

Materials and tools for handmade shrimp production are piled up because there is no stock to produce. Photo: QA

The reason for the decline in fresh shrimp production is that fuel prices remain high, so the number of ships going to sea is not as full as before. In addition, the current shrimp fishing method is unscientific and tends to destroy the shrimp, so the shrimp source is increasingly decreasing.

In addition, there have been many storms in the East Sea recently, leading to delays in sea travel. Therefore, every time a boat returns to port, the amount of fresh shrimp is consumed very quickly to serve the daily market, the amount of shrimp left to produce peeled shrimp is insignificant.

The price of finished shrimp on the market has now doubled, reaching 1.2 - 1.3 million VND/kg, making it difficult for consumers to access. For traditional shrimp workers, if they can earn a few hundred thousand VND per day, many establishments are now operating at a low level or closing, forcing workers to find other jobs to maintain their income.

The price of finished shrimp has increased due to a lack of raw materials. Photo: QA

Besides, expanding the market and promoting shrimp products also face many difficulties. Bringing shrimp to large sales channels, supermarket chains, and agricultural product stores is difficult to do because the supply does not meet continuous demand.

Currently, shrimp production facilities are trying to adapt to the shortage of raw materials. Most households have cut about 50% of their workforce to reduce costs, some households accept to import goods from localities outside Dien Chau district at higher prices to continue to maintain the profession. In addition, production households also hope that oil prices will decrease so that fishermen can confidently go offshore and stick to the sea, and raw materials will be more stable.

Previously, shrimp production facilities were always crowded and bustling. Photo: QA