Prawns: Marketing

Photo of someone handing out food samplesProduction goals and harvesting practices should be developed in response to marketing strategies. Without this approach, financial loss due to lack of adequate storage (holding) facilities or price variability is inevitable. Market demand suggests that large, live, and iced with heads on products have a lucrative but small niche. Other production will have to enter and be competitive within the shrimp commodity market. Year-round distribution of this seasonal product will require freezing and an individually quick frozen (IQF) product, both whole and headless, is an attractive form for the consumer. Block frozen is also an alternative method of processing for long-term distribution. Recent studies show that whole prawns, harvested two to four hours prior to exposure to the IQF process, have a shelf life of at least one year. Thawing of the frozen product for use in cooking can be completed with cold water immersion for immediate use or under refrigerated conditions, within a four to eight hour period, for later use.

Recent research conducted at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station suggests that adult freshwater prawns can be successfully live-hauled for at least 24 hours at a density of 0.5 pound per gallon (0.060 kg/L) with little mortality and no observed effect on exterior quality of the product. Transport under these conditions requires the provision of oxygen to the water. The prawns should be distributed vertically throughout the water column, possibly in stacked "shelves". This approach avoids potential mortality due to stress and localized deterioration of water quality from crowding on the bottom of the transport tank. Ideally, the temperature of transport water should be 68-71.6º F (20-22º C) to reduce the level of activity of the prawns and thereby minimize the incidence of water quality problems, particularly ammonia accumulation, and injury. An alternative method for overnight transport of live freshwater prawn using a minimal amount of water is currently under investigation.

MSU Publications & Information

Other Freshwater Prawns Information