US shrimp buyer sees Asian processors call for help moving larger sizes

Asian shrimp packers areasking for help shifting large sizes, a US buyer told IntraFish.

US shrimp inventories areat near record levels, leaving prices about 5 to 8 percent lower than they wereat the close of 2011, said Jeff Goldberg, director of shrimp procurement for USimporter Mazzetta. Normally, prices do not begin falling until April, he said.

This picture was confirmedby another US buyer, who said Asian packers are pushing large sizes onbuyers. 

“The US inventories arehigh, carry over from the end of 2011,” said Don Berger, head of sales andpurchasing with California-based Sea Lion International.

“However,