PROCESSING AND MARKETING 



Neither dry nor canned shrirp are produced in Panama. The 

 only processing is by fi-eezing. There were four shriiip freezing plants 

 in Panama in November, 1955* The total daily capacity was about U5,000 

 pounds, but an additional 3>000 pounds vras expected to begin operating 

 ecirly in 1956. About $250,000 is invested in plant equipment. 



There ^paared to be a trend toward producing more peeled and 

 deveined shrimp. One source estimated that only about 5 percent of the 

 195U export pack was peeled and deveined, whereas for the first 10 months 

 of 1955 about l5 percent was this type of pack. 



The plant designs, in general, are not very efficient. There 

 is at present sufficient freezing capacity to handle (on a 2U-hour basis) 

 any anticipated increase in catch that might be forthcoming in the near 

 future. Bottlenecks that occur are not caused by lack of freezing 

 capacity. They usually originate in the grading and packing departments 

 and could be eliminated tlircugh use of mechanical graders and improved 

 plant- flow design. 



There is no government control or inspection for standardiza- 

 tion of grades or quality control o The government maintains a sanitary 

 control over the paclcing plaats and the employees, which consists of 

 inspection of the plants about every 6 months and the keeping of health 

 cards for the vrorkors. 



The bulk of the Panamajiian xihite shrimp catch is frozen 

 headless in 5-pound cartons for export to the United States. Second- 

 quality vrhite shrimp, usualD.y black spotted, are peeled and frozen. 

 Some of the pinks, and much of tlie titi and indio, are peeled and 

 deveined by hand and frozen for export. 



The general practice is to layer-pack the headless shrimp in 

 5-pound cartons, freeze them, open the frozen cartons and add glazing 

 water, close the cartons, pack them inverted into master cartons, close 

 and strap the master carton, and place it in the storage room awaiting 

 shipriient. This tochniciue, Xifhich is also the common practice in Ecuador 

 and on the east coast of Mexico, gives only a surface glaze. 



Some of the peeled white shrimp are layer-packed, but most 

 are juiaWed. Other than peeling, ^rhich is done by hand, the handling 

 practiced are the same as those for headless frozen. 



The titi and indio, w?d.ch are landed wliole, are usually 

 handled in tvro operations. First they £u:e lieadedj then they are 

 peeled and deveined. The peeling is done individually vjith a patented 

 plastic peeler. The deveining is done with a paring Icnife, 



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