A file photo shows a pair of hands holding five large white shrimp. Following Malaysia's suspension of Thai shrimp imports on June 1, prices have dropped by 50-60 baht per kilogramme.
The Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) and the Thai Frozen Foods Association began direct purchases of shrimp from farmers on Wednesday to mitigate the effects of Malaysia's suspension of Thai shrimp imports.Poj Aramwattananont, chairman of the chamber, said the initiative is coordinated through the chamber's Agricultural and Food Coordination and Public Relations Centre (AFC). The goal is to maintain price stability, facilitate product distribution, and preserve market confidence both domestically and internationally.
Malaysia is a major shrimp export market for Thailand, and the suspension has a direct impact on shrimp farmers, said Mr Poj. The situation may also affect related industries across the supply chain, including hatcheries, aquaculture feed manufacturers, shrimp aggregators, cold storage operators, processing plants, and exporters, he noted.
The chamber and its partners can purchase more than 100 tonnes of shrimp per day from farmers under the "antibiotic testing before shrimp auction" programme.
