Well it certainly is not about hunger but China controlling import flows into country.

Checking for white spot and yellow head in frozen heads-on product. It is a general tightening up on viruses in the wake of ASF (African Swine Fever virus).

For trade it was Saudi off/then on. Iran on. Ecuador off then partial on. All in space of two weeks.

Actually non effect on global shrimp prices – except in China.

That said shrimp imports, now at a better price in China, may start to go up as people look to alternative proteins to pig.

Saudi has green lane visa probably now to China……and of course a €300m Chinese investment to boost aquaculture production…ya!

…a fictional theory.

A plot (strategy) developed by certain regions to de-stabilize shrimp production in others or as a means to control market prices.

So, say for example, Australia says I’m alright Jack, got my shrimp bio-security in place.

Then previously undetected diseases popup in Australia supplier nations. Import controls in place, prices rise. Good for local shrimp farmers. A fortress protectionism strategy.

Of course this is fiction but recent disease noises showing up in SPF offspring for vannamei is interesting. Is it perhaps using new diagnostics that one can see what was previously undetectable and possibly hope to gain from it………has happened before in shrimp industry.

For shrimp farmers one should always start from the premise that seed has been screened or stress tested first – either in nurseries or at hatchery level and that sucessfull culture now depends on YOUR good management and husbandry.

Of course for seafood, shrimp, logistics.

Cool Rail

Africa and South East Asia, China, Japan, South Korea and Indian sub continent.

Well you may say – so what has this to do with shrimp? Are the Spanish Citrus farmers correct in highlighting this issue?

Citrics not allowed to enter into Spain if carriers of black spot fungi but this is not checked for by Dutch health inspectors. Alliances of South Africans work with Dutch companies to arrive into EU via Rotterdam where there are lax quality standard and controls.

That same port used to have the only equipment in Europe that could radioactively process reefer container loads of food and effectively sterilize all pathogens. Yes even shrimp and Holland was well know as a clearing house if elsewhere failed. Chemical treatments were common place also in secondary processing facilities.

Hopefully though this has all changed for shrimp with EU laws but seemingly there are different standards at play here so who really knows how this plays out….

….what is known is that EU food imports and DG Santé is an agreed Dutch led area.