Suppliers fear price rises for Argentine red shrimp

Growing global demand for wild red Argentinian shrimp is pushing prices up. As suppliers such as Miami, Florida, U.S.A.-based Camanchaca have effectively built a market for the sweet shellfish, now they and other major players in the sector are concerned about price increases.

“Supply has been pretty consistent, but demand is going up and prices are going up,” Gus Michelena, sourcing manager for Camanchaca, told SeafoodSource at Seafood Expo North America in Boston, Massachusetts.

Restaurant and supermarket chains such as Lakeland, Florida-based Publix Super Markets have added Argentine red shrimp over the past year. In fact, United States imports of Argentina shrimp jumped to 10.5 million pounds from January through December 2016, while average prices rose USD 1.00 (EUR 0.93) per pound.

As a result, Camanchaca is seeing average prices of USD 7.00 (EUR 6.51) per pound for peeled and deveined shrimp, wholesale for foodservice. However, Camanchaca is able to plan production for advance customer orders, ensuring a steady supply.

Meanwhile, Camanchaca also supplies ocean-raised farmed salmon, langostino, mussels and other items. At SENA, the supplier is featuring new Pier 33 Gourmet ocean-raised salmon products: Blackened Salmon and Bourbon Salmon.