Vietnam for the first time earned over 3 billion USD from shrimp exports in 2013, up 36 percent from the previous year.

The outcome was attributed to higher export prices as a result of a sharp fall in global shrimp output.

White-legged shrimp saw high growth in production and value, bringing home an estimated 1.4 billion USD in 2013, doubling the previous year’s figure and accounting for 50 percent of the country’s total shrimp exports.

The easing early mortality syndrome ( EMS ) on shrimp also helped the sector stabilise its output.

In addition, China increased imports of Vietnamese shrimp to make up for its shortages resulted from the disease. The country became the third biggest market of Vietnamese shrimp with its import value of over 349 million USD in the first 11 months of 2013.

With this success, Vietnam aims to rake in 3.5 billion USD from shipping this kind of aquatic products abroad this year.

However, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers warned that shrimp exports in 2014 might not be as easy as last year as countries seriously affected by EMS like China, Thailand, and India start to recover their production.-VNA