DAGUPAN—Dr. Westly Rosario, executive director of the National Fisheries and Research Development Institute (NFRDI) here, predicts that the pacific white shrimp (Pennaeus vannamei) could very well become the country’s fourth major commodity within the next two to five years.

Speaking during the graduation of 320 student-listeners of the “Kumita sa Pag-aalaga ng Hipong Puti (Earn by raising white shrimp) school-on-the-air program, Rosario said while pacific white shrimp production is relatively new in the Philippines, it is now gaining headway with production at 100,000 tons per year.

“This is now one of the major commodities of aquaculture in the Philippines,” Rosario said.

The school-on-the- air program is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development with Santeh Feeds Corporation in cooperation with the ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. and the Philippine Foundation of Rural Broadcasters.

Rosario said the government is giving its full support to this program through the National Integrated Fisheries Technology and Development Center (NIFTDC) and the NFRDI/ Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

The Department of Agriculture’s Fisheries Administrative Order No. 225, series of 2007 allows the importation of the brood stock of pacific white shrimp and the culture of their offspring in the country following the successful experimental breeding by the BFAR at the NIFTDC in Dagupan.

Rosario, who spearheaded the research, said he plans to call a first Luzon Vannamei Congress next year to bring together all registered and non-registered producers and discuss industry potentials and challenges. #

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