Brasília, January 7, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - In the last five years exports of farm-bred shrimp have grown by leaps and bounds in Brazil, increasing from 37.8 tons in 2002 to 62 thousand tons in 2003. The Northeast region is the biggest producer of shrimp on farms, with 97% of the country's total production.

In addition to the increase in exports, the number of direct and indirect jobs has grown in the region. Fifty thousand jobs were created, chiefly along the coast. The activity has provided employment to unskilled workers who were idle as a result of declines in traditional fishing and labor on sugar plantations. 95% of the production is in the hands of small and medium-sized producers.

For the president of the Brazilian Association of Shrimp Breeders, Itamar Rocha, Brazil has the potential to become the world leader in shrimp exports. "Brazil was the sixth biggest producer in the world last year."

The expectation is to become world leader in shrimp exports by 2010. Of all the countries that cultivate shrimp, Brazil is the only one in which cultivation occurs year-round, without differentiation, that is, without ups and downs in production, unlike Asia, which has a cycle that is long but which has to be interrupted as a result of climatic variations. "Brazil does not suffer from the white spot virus that attacks shrimp all over the world, and the shrimp is of high quality," Rocha observed.

The world's largest exporter of shrimp is China, with 300 thousand hectares of shrimp farms. Vietnam, with 500 thousand hectares, is in second place. Brazil, although it possesses only 14 thousand hectares, is the leader in productivity, which is up to six times more than in China and 25 times more than in Vietnam.

Mário Sérgio de Mendonça has been breeding shrimp for 16 years in the municipality of Tibau do Sul, in Rio Grande do Norte. Attracted by government propaganda, he decided to invest in shrimp cultivation and was soon able to obtain a loan for the business. A good business, by the way, according to him. "In terms of agrobusiness, shrimp breeding grew very rapidly in Brazil, and, as a result, was adversely affected by people who don't know the business."

Rocha, the president of the Shrimp Breeders' Association, complains about the lack of government support for production and commercialization of the product, as well as the difficulty in obtaining an environmental license. He also reveals that many producers operate clandestinely, which hurts the image of the sector.

The director of Agricultural Development of the Ministry of Agriculture, João Scorvo, says that the Special Secretariat of Agriculture and Fishing (Seap) has invested resources mainly in the area of research.

Despite the postive results, there are those who disagree that shrimp breeding is a good business and brings the country benefits. The Chamber of Deputies, through its Commission for Consumer and Environmental Protection, is visiting some regions where shrimp-breeding activity is at a peak. The coordinator of the work group, Deputy João Alfredo, of the PT from Ceará, says that the activity should not be considered attractive.

"Shrimp reproduction is very rapid, but, on the other hand, it has not generated quality jobs. Most of the jobs are seasonal and informal and are available mostly during the period of collection. However, the most serious issue is that this activity has gravely assaulted the environment, because it is destroying the mangrove swamps and polluting the region's water resources," he affirmed. (DAS)