As rice farmers in Thailand continue to blockade highways in an effort to heighten pressure on the government to speed up delayed rice payments, processors of farm-raised shrimp and fishery products sourced from the southern provinces of Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chumphon are becoming increasingly concerned.
According to a report in the February 3 issue of the Bangkok Post, shipments bound to and from the nation’s south have been delayed for approximately five hours during the past three days. Supply shortages will be unavoidable if the protest lasts for more than another week, figures Yoo Chienyuenyongpong, chairman of the Land Transport Federation of Thailand.
Poj Aramwattananout, president of the Thai Frozen Foods Association, confirmed that shipments from the south now take significantly longer to reach processing plants in the central provinces of Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram.
A large number of seafood producers, based along Rama II Road, rely on ice to transport seafood and other perishable products. If longer, alternate routes must be traveled to reach processors, they will need larger quantities of ice for the journey. Alternatively, noted Visit Limlurcha, vice president of the Federation of Thai Industries’ Food Processing Club, they may opt to temporarily store products in chillers or freezing rooms.
The sale of farm-raised shrimp and fishery products, most of which are packed in frozen form, amounts to big business for Thailand. In 2012 the nation earned US $8.8 billion from exports of approximately 4.2 million tons.
