Venezuela: A Booming Venezuelan Seafood Industry
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Venezuelan seafood production totaled 241,000 MT in 2021, growing by 16 percent compared to 2020. Seafood products are Venezuela’s largest agricultural export, accounting for more than 54 percent of the total value of agricultural exports in 2021. Seafood exports have increased 174 percent since 2016 and in 2021, totaled $361.7 million. The major exported seafood products are shrimp, crab, and fish. The primary markets are the European Union (shrimp) and the United States (crab and fish). Aquaculture shrimp production grew 157 percent since 2016 and was the leading agricultural export product in 2021. The Venezuelan shrimp industry is an expanding business, is highly specialized, and employs leading technologies and production practices. In 2021, Venezuela imported 363,325 MT of soybean meal, of which 94 percent was U.S. origin.