Shrimp exports on the rise   Quoc Viet Seaproducts Processing Trading and Import-Export Co workers processed shrimp. The country's shrimp exports have increased significantly this year, making Viet Nam the world's third-largest shrimp exporter. - VNS/VNS Photo Tran Viet HCM CITY (VNS)- The country's shrimp exports have increased significantly this year, making Viet Nam the world's third-largest shrimp exporter, according to the Directorate of Fisheries. Shrimp exports reached US$2.5 billion this year, up 33 per cent against last year, accounting for 44 per cent of the country's total seafood exports. The country's shrimp cultivation area has reached 666,000ha, with total output of 548,000 tonnes this year, up 12.3 per cent against last year. Of the output, white-legged shrimp accounted for 280,000 tonnes and black tiger shrimp, 268,000 tonnes. For the first time, this year white-legged shrimp exports exceeded black tiger shrimp exports. In export markets, the US has also surpassed Japan in importing Viet Nam's shrimp, becoming Viet Nam's largest shrimp importer this year, according to the directorate. With the supply of white-legged shrimp from other major exporters like India and Thailand decreasing this year because of poor harvests, the world's demand for Vietnamese shrimp has risen. Nguyen Huy Dien, deputy head of the directorate, said that with the world shrimp supply declining, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and local authorities have told farmers to increase the volume of white-legged shrimp this year. Domestic exporters also raised the export of white-legged shrimp when the world supply dropped. This year, the country has also been able to control disease outbreaks among shrimp, he said. Although the breeding of white-legged shrimp has grown this year, the directorate has warned farmers to maintain cultivation areas of black tiger shrimp for 2014. White-legged shrimp cultivation is expected to rise 20 per cent next year as output from large shrimp exporting countries recovers, Dien said. Shrimp cultivation under good agriculture practises (GAP) will be applied more strictly next year as well. The management of shrimp fry and breeder shrimps, especially imported ones, will be improved to ensure the prevention and control of disease outbreaks, he said. The country has 2,300 farms that produce a total of 68.4 billion of black tiger shrimp fry and white-legged shrimp fry a year. - VNS