Aquaculture farmer organizations and cluster management: concepts and experiences

Case study of the Samroiyod 
Shrimp Farmers Cooperative in 
Thailand
BACKGROUND
1
 
Thailand is the world’s leading shrimp-farming country, exporting the most shrimp 
in terms of both volume and value, and the biggest supplier of farmed shrimp to the 
United States of America and Japan. Traditionally, the Thai shrimp industry farmed 
black tiger shrimp (
Penaeus monodon
) but owing to increased disease and other risks 
since 2001, it has undergone a dramatic transformation and switched species to farming 
Pacific white shrimp (
Litopenaeus vannamei
) and is now the world’s leading supplier. 
In 2006, white shrimp made up 98 percent of Thailand’s shrimp production, with black 
tiger shrimp making up the remaining 2 percent (Wyban, 2007). As a result of the 
switch to white shrimp, increased public and private investments and improvement of 
technologies, Thai shrimp production almost doubled between 2002 and 2006 to about 
500 000 tonnes per year (Figure A1.1). 
The generation of foreign revenue by the industry was USD 2.1 billion in 2007 
(www.customs.go.th), and the direct and associated industries engaged at least 
1 million people. In 2006, a total of 33 500 farmers producing shrimp in Thailand 
were registered with the government, 85 percent of whom were small-scale farmers. 
1 
This section is based on interviews with Mr Somboon Laoprasert (Fisheries Biologist, Department 
of Fisheries) and Mr Ongpat Boonchuwong (Senior Expert on Fisheries Economics, Department of 
Fisheries).
FIGURE A1.1
Annual production of farmed Penaeus monodon (blue bars) and Litopenaeus vannamei 
(red bars) in Thailand
Source:
FAO.
Pr
oduction 
(tonnes)
500 000
400 000