Thailand Defers Decision on Ban against Shrimp-Farming.

Aug. 1--While black tiger shrimps are among the few products that could reverse the decline in export receipts, there is debate over whether the country should risk losing fertile rice fields to shrimp farms.

With this in mind, the cabinet yesterday deferred a decision on lifting the ban on shrimp farming in the Central Plains and asked for more information on the environmental impact of such a move, including that on rice production.

As well, industry observers have questioned the recent speed in trying to lift the shrimp farming ban, a step promoted by Pitak Intrawithayanunt, a deputy prime minister. Mr Pitak took up the cudgels at the request of Wattana Muangsuk, a deputy secretary to the prime minister.

However, the observers suggest Mr Pitak could be leaving himself vulnerable to criticism as he had once been the secretary to Dhanin Chearavanont, the chairman of the Charoen Pokphand Group, the country's agricultural conglomerate that includes the biggest producer of shrimp feed. Mr Wattana is the son-in-law of Sumet Jiaravanon, Mr Dhanin's brother. Market sources said that although shrimp farmers might not always be lucky to obtain 300 baht or more per kilogramme as in recent years, producers of shrimp feed would benefit regardless.

The shrimp-feed producer, Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc (CPF), expects revenue from all its products to reach 68 billion baht this year, 10 percent more than last year. The company makes about 400,000 tons of shrimp feed a year, supplying 60 percent of the local market. The feed fetches 32,000 baht a ton on the domestic market, which ...