The Department of Agriculture (DA) will create a Prawn Board to address the pressing concerns of the industry, particularly growers in Negros Occidental, one of the biggest prawn-producing regions in the country. The local prawn industry is beset with problems such as declining margins, higher production costs, weak demand and falling prices. The proposed board, according to Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr., will include representatives from the shrimp industry, government, academe and possibly research institutions. Lorenzo said the University of the Philippines in the Visayas and the Iloilo-based Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center may also be represented in the board.

Felix, R. C. (2003, April 6). DA to create Prawn Board. The Philippine Star, p. B-7.