NEWSROOM
Help
Available to Fight Imported Shrimp in the Marketplace
January 25, 2005
Commercial shrimpers
and processors have been fighting the influx of live and fresh
frozen shrimp from abroad on state, regional, and national levels.
Recently, the Foreign Agricultural Service has certified that
increasing imports of frozen and fresh whole shrimp contributed
to a decline in the landed price of shrimp in Louisiana during
2003 when compared to 1998-2002, making some Louisiana shrimp
producers eligible for training and cash benefits in 2005.
In the short term,
Louisiana Sea Grant and the LSU Agricultural Center are providing
a workshop to help shrimpers secure federal financial assistance
and in-state training to compensate for losses in 2003 and 2004,
and a Web site to make available information and training materials
to prevent future losses. In the long term, university scientists,
shrimpers, processors, and regulators together are developing
a certification program to ensure that the quality of Gulf of
Mexico fresh frozen shrimp is so high that it captures and holds
the top position on the world market.
Financial
assistance and training
A workshop in Louisiana describing TAA benefits will be at the
Belle Chasse Auditorium (8398 Belle Chasse Hwy./ Hwy. 23 near
the Belle Chasse ferry landing) on Thursday, January 27, 2005,
at 9 a.m. for shrimpers who might be eligible for government payments
and training. The workshop provides information on who is eligible
and how they can receive these benefits. A similar workshop was
held January 19th at the Cameron Parish Police Jury Annex.
Shrimpers can apply
for TAA benefits between January 10 and April 11, 2005, at a local
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. Offices in Louisiana are
located in Franklinton, 985/839-5687, Edgard, 985/497-3311, Thibodaux,
985/446-6226, Franklin, 337/828-0493, New Iberia, 337/369-3234,
St. Martinville, 337/332-2811, Abbeville, 337/893-5781, and Lake
Charles, 337/436-5020.
Program
to prevent future losses
Louisiana Sea Grant and the LSU Agricultural Center have begun
to work with shrimpers and processors to develop a shrimp product
certification program. Details about the development of this program,
and copies of the training materials are now available online
at http://www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu/management/LAshrimp.htm
Development of the
certification program includes interviews with individual fishermen
and processors, meetings with industry associations, visits to
processing plants and buying docks, and fishing trips on board
shrimp vessels. The program is also using information about shrimp
markets and product forms, critical quality attributes, and individual
handling processes to devise safe, practical catch, handling and
preserving methods that ensure top quality product.
For more information,
contact:
<<
Back to 2005 News Page
