Reports
Discussion Papers
No.643 Better Management Practices and Their Outcomes in Shrimp Farming:Evidence from Small-scale Shrimp Farmers in Southern Vietnam
by Aya Suzuki and Vu Hoang Nam
March 2017
ABSTRACT
Despite the growth of aquaculture exports from developing countries in recent years, a high percentage of these products are rejected at developed countries' ports because of non-compliance with international standards. This paper presents a case study of the shrimp aquaculture sector in Vietnam to examine the factors behind the persistence of such port rejections. In particular, we focus on why the so-called Better Management Practices (BMPs) are not appropriately adopted by many farmers and examine whether the number and types of information sources matter in farmers’ decisions on BMP adoption and whether BMP adoption actually leads to better performances. On the basis of our estimation using primary data collected in Southern Vietnam, we find that information sources and training experiences indeed matter in the adoption of a higher number of BMPs and that BMP adoption indeed reduces the possibility of disease outbreaks. These results prove the effectiveness of BMPs and suggest the importance of disseminating knowledge regarding them to farmers through experts.
Keywords: Port rejection, Better Management Practices, Aquaculture, Vietnam
JEL classification: F63, L15, O13, O19
PDF available at http://hdl.handle.net/2344/1617
Please note that discussion papers are works in various stages of progress and most have not been edited and proofread and may contain errors of fact or judgment. Revised versions of these papers may subsequently appear in more formal publication series. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s). The IDE does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included and accepts no responsibility for any consequences arising from its use.