Shrimp farm. (Photo: Stock File)
Shrimp sector records losses of USD 100m due to heavy rain
HONDURAS
Friday, October 12, 2018, 02:50 (GMT + 9)
The Honduran shrimp industry has experienced losses of some USD 100 million because of the intense rain that hit the south of the country in recent days, which caused the overflow of the ponds where the crustacean is raised.
A large part of the farmed shrimp has died, and others are now in the estuaries near the sea, La Tribuna reported.
"The shrimp lagoons are protected from huts to retain water and these were destroyed by the force of the rivers," explained the National Association of Aquaculture of Honduras (ANDAH) executive director Javier Amador.
At this moment, a count is being made to know how many hectares of shrimp farms were destroyed as well as damaged schools and equipment, such as water suction pumps, among others.
"I am worried about what happens in the southern zone in the sectors of shrimp, okra, melon, watermelon and sugarcane because the largest amount of planted area is affected by this rain," said Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Mauricio Guevara Guevara.
"In the case of shrimp, I am really concerned because the reports we have describe that salinity is being lost in the lagoons where the planting activity takes place," he added.
The representative of the shrimp farm Granjas Marinas, Víctor Wilson, predicts that this year there will be a loss in foreign currency between USD 75 and USD 120 million.
According to statistics from ANDAH, in 2008, 68.5 million pounds of farmed shrimp were exported for USD 225.8 million.
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