Seafood dealers' shrimp-purchasing behavior and preferences with implications for United States shrimp farmers

The US shrimp-farming industry has been expanding in the southern United States in response to the strong market demand for shrimp. However, US farmers have difficulty competing on price with imports in frozen shrimp commodity markets. This study identified the shrimp-purchasing behavior and preferences of seafood wholesalers and retailers in nine southeastern US states to provide shrimp farmers the market information needed to develop successful marketing strategies. Results of a mail survey of the seafood dealers, including a conjoint analysis experiment, are presented and discussed. There appears to be a potential market for fresh, farm-raised shrimp in a variety of sizes, but there is considerable dealer resistance to the whole or live head-on shrimp form. Shrimp farmers interested in successfully marketing to seafood dealers may be required to process their product to offer shrimp tails, rather than whole shrimp.