Shrimp Markets Quality and Price Looking Good

by FV Staff

Northern shrimp quantities are good for this early in the season and better than 2009 at this point. The quality is also being reported to be better. The Kelo Pinkham designed and DMR tested sorting grids are improving sorting said Glen Libby at Port Clyde.

The price, at about .75 cents is much better. New demand for Gulf of Maine shrimp is driving prices. “I’m not sure what’s driving price exactly. But the local foods movement is definitely a part if it. There has also been a lot of negative publicity about low quality imports.” said Libby.

The markets, said Libby are much stronger than in 2009. Port Clyde Fresh Catch (PCFC) has been shipping a lot more shrimp than 1 1/2 years ago. They have customers in Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and beyond. Buying clubs have been buying this year as well. A lot of it is going to restaurants and natural food stores.

PCFC also had a good summer for filet sales. Their shipping department has reduced delivery time. Iced down insulated boxes make it to New York the next day by 5 a.m.

European orders are a little more difficult. Partnering with an overseas shipper boxes get to Boston the same day and the shipper gets it to Europe.

PCFC current distance record is Alaska and France for lobster shipments. “Business has tripled over 2009, it had doubled from 2008 to 2009,” said Libby.

Northern shrimp is showing up in more and more markets beyond Maine. The deserved bad press the imported shrimp gets has probably effected demand. Freshness is the lesser issue with imports. The unregulated conditions under which most of it is raised is a red flag. The few samples that have been tested confirm a lack of oversight.