CHAPTER YH 



CONSUMPTION AND PRICES 



ABSTRACT 



IN PART, SHRIMP OWES ITS POPULARITY TO THE FACT 

 THAT IT CAN BE SERVED IN A VARIETY OF DISHES, RANGING FROM 

 APPETIZER, SOUP, AND SALAD TO ENTREE. IN RECENT YEARS, ":"HE 

 BREADED SHRIMP DINNER HAS VIED IN POPULAR ACCEPTANCE WITH 

 THE SHRIMP COCKTAIL. 



AMONG OTHER FACTORS ACCOUNTING FOR THE STRONG 

 DEMAND FOR SHRIMP IS ITS FLAVOR AND HIGH NUTRITIVE VALUE AS 

 THE RESULT OF HIGH PROTEIN AND LOW FAT CONTENT. 



TOTAL UNITED STATES CONSUMPTION OF SHRIMP AND SHRIMP 

 PRODUCTS IN 1958 WAS APPROXIMATELY 164 MILLION POUNDS ON AN 

 EDIBLE WEIGHT BASIS. ON A PER CAPITA BASIS, CONSUMPTION WAS 

 APPROXIMATELY ONE POUND IN EDIBLE WEIGHT, THE CATCH EQUIVALENT 

 AMOUNTING TO TWO POUNDS. AT THE PRESENT TIME, ABOUT 1 IN 

 EVERY n POUNDS OF FISH AND SHELLFISH PRODUCTS SERVED AT THE 

 TABLE IS SHRIMP. 



SHRIMP CONSUMPTION IN THE FUTURE PROBABLY WILL EX- 

 CEED LEVELS TO BE EXPECTED AS THE RESULT OF NORMAL POPULATION 

 GROWTH, SINCE AT LEAST SOME OF THE FACTORS WHICH HAVE BROUGHT 

 ABOUT THE INCREASE IN THE DEMAND FOR SHRIMP IN THE LAST TWO 

 DECADES ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE TO PREVAIL IN THE MARKET. SUPPLY 

 PROBLEMS MAY PLACE AN UPPER LIMIT ON THE SIZE OF ANY SUCH IN- 

 CREASE IN CONSUMPTION. 



PRICE INFORMATION ON SHRIMP AND SHRIMP PRODUCTS IS 

 AVAILABLE FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES. THE MARKET NEWS SERVICE, 

 BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES, OF THE UNITED STATES FISH AND 

 WILDLIFE SERVICE COLLECTS EX-VESSEL AND WHOLESALE PRICE DATA; 

 THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS PUBLISHES WHOLE- 

 SALE PRICE INFORMATION ON SELECTED FRESH AND FROZEN SHRIMP 

 ITEMS FOR TWO CONSUMPTION CENTERS; SUBDIVISIONS OF STATE AND 

 MUNICIPAL AGENCIES GATHER RETAIL PRICE INFORMATION. IN ADDITION 

 TO SUPPLY AND DEMAND FACTORS, THERE ARE OTHER IMPORTANT VARIABLES 

 WHICH INFLUENCE PRICE; AMONG THESE ARE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, 

 SPECIES, SIZE CLASS, PRESENCE OF LABOR UNIONS IN THE MARKET, 

 AND PROCESSOR CONTROL OF FISHING OPERATIONS. 



INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS IN THIS CHAPTER ARE STUDIES 

 OF SPREADS BETWEEN PRICES AT SUCCESSIVE STAGES OF DISTRIBUTION, 

 COMPARISONS OF SHRIMP PRICE-INDEX SERIES WITH OTHER PRICE- 

 INDEX SERIES, AS WELL AS STATISTICAL RELATIONSHIPS OF QUANTITY 

 AND VALUE OF LANDINGS, AND VALUE OF LANDINGS AND PERSONAL 

 I NCOME . 



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