What is Crayfish/Prawns? Why Buy It?

Crayfish/Prawns are highly valued seafood products known for their rich taste, nutritional benefits, and versatility in various cuisines worldwide. Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans that resemble small lobsters, while prawns are larger, saltwater or freshwater shellfish commonly consumed in different culinary traditions.

Crayfish/Prawns are excellent sources of high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins (such as B12 and D), and essential minerals like zinc, selenium, and iodine. Their low-fat content and heart-healthy properties make them an attractive option for consumers seeking nutritious and delicious protein sources.

The global demand for Crayfish/Prawns continues to grow due to increasing seafood consumption, rising awareness of healthy eating, and expanding aquaculture practices. These seafood items are widely used in gourmet dishes, processed seafood products, and various food applications, making them essential in international food markets.

 

Applications/Uses of Crayfish/Prawns

Crayfish/Prawns have extensive applications in multiple industries, including the food sector, pharmaceutical industry, and cosmetics.

Food Industry

Gourmet Cuisine

Crayfish/Prawns are used in luxury seafood dishes, including paella, seafood pasta, jambalaya, and Cajun-style preparations.

Frozen and Processed Foods

They are commonly frozen, canned, or dried for easy storage and distribution.

Soups and Broths

Crayfish/Prawns enhance the flavor of soups, bisques, and seafood broths.

Snacks and Appetizers

They are key ingredients in tempura, spring rolls, and seafood platters.

Sauces and Seasonings

Crayfish are often used to make crayfish seasoning or stock for enhancing dishes.

Fast Food Industry

Prawns are widely used in sushi, shrimp cocktails, prawn tempura, and seafood pizzas.

Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Industry

Omega-3 Supplements

Extracted from prawns, omega-3 fatty acids help improve heart and brain health.

Chitosan Production

The shells of prawns and crayfish are processed into chitosan, which has applications in wound healing, dietary supplements, and water purification.

Cosmetics and Skincare Industry

Anti-Aging Creams

Chitosan from prawn shells is used in anti-aging and skin hydration products.

Exfoliating Products

Some skincare products use finely ground prawn shells for natural exfoliation.

 

Top Producing/Exporting Countries of Crayfish/Prawns

Crayfish/Prawn production is dominated by countries with strong aquaculture and fishing industries. The leading producers and exporters include:

China

The largest producer of prawns, particularly farmed varieties such as white-leg shrimp, exporting to the U.S., EU, and Japan.

India

A major producer of farmed prawns, particularly black tiger shrimp and freshwater prawns, exporting to the U.S., EU, and Southeast Asia.

Indonesia

A significant supplier of prawns, with strong export markets in Japan, the EU, and the U.S.

Vietnam

Known for high-quality prawn production, particularly vannamei and black tiger shrimp, exported globally.

Bangladesh

A key exporter of freshwater prawns, especially scampi, to European and Middle Eastern markets.

Thailand

A leading player in farmed prawn exports, supplying to North America, Europe, and Japan.

Norway

A major exporter of cold-water prawns to European markets.

Egypt

An emerging player in freshwater prawn farming, supplying regional and global markets.

 

Top Importing Countries of Crayfish/Prawns

Several countries import Crayfish/Prawns to meet their high consumer demand. The leading importers include:

United States

The largest importer of prawns, with a strong market for frozen and processed shrimp from Asia and Latin America.

European Union (EU)

Countries like Spain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands import large volumes of prawns for retail and food service.

Japan

A significant consumer of high-quality prawns, particularly for sushi and seafood dishes.

China

Imports large quantities of prawns to supplement domestic production and meet growing demand.

South Korea

A key importer of prawns, particularly for traditional seafood dishes.

Canada

Imports prawns for both household and restaurant consumption, sourcing from the U.S., Asia, and Latin America.

Australia

A major importer of prawns, especially for frozen and ready-to-eat seafood markets.

Russia

Has an increasing demand for prawns, particularly for processed and frozen seafood.

 

International Price of Crayfish/Prawns Per Metric Ton

The unit price ($ per MT) of Crayfish/Prawns in the international market depends on a host of different factors including:

• The grade of the produce (usually the more the processing, the higher the price)
• The price of the raw material
• Age of the seeds (this can affect the price)
• Production levels in producing countries
• Economic conditions and the exchange rates between the currencies of the producing and importing countries.
• The quantity ordered (the greater the quantity, the cheaper you can get it per ton)
• Harvest season (it is more costly when it is out of harvest season).
• Weather conditions (some commodities are sensitive to weather conditions).
• Freight & haulage cost
• Percentage of markup
• Import duties, trade tariffs and trade agreements between countries
• Distance from the country of origin
• Technology/Infrastructure available in country of origin
• Relationship between the buyer and seller

 

That said, as at March 2025, Crayfish/Prawns costs between $3000 and $12000 Per Metric Ton (1,000 kilograms) in the international market (i.e. $3/kg to $12/kg).

 

How To Safely Source for Your Crayfish/Prawns Produce

If you find the right export company, buying directly from them can make the purchase process easy and stress-free, when compared with doing the sourcing on your own. That said, there are few things to note when dealing with an export company in Nigeria or Africa. The specific requirements for Nigeria are listed below, but they mostly apply to other African countries:

• The exporting company must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to make sure the company is registered and permitted to carry out business
• The export company must also be registered with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
• The company must possess a domiciliary account to accept international

 

The company should get all necessary export-related documentation done before the shipment leaves the port of origin. Some of the documents are:

• Certificate of origin
• Bill of lading
• Inspection Certificate (SGS, Cotecna, Bureau Veritas, Intertek, etc)
• Phytosanitary certificate
• Fumigation certificate

 

Where To Find Reliable Exporters

An important question that still needs to be answered is how to find Crayfish/Prawns exporters in Nigeria. You can use any of the methods listed below:

• Attend trade fairs
• Use search engines like Google, Yahoo,
• Search for agents on Linkedln
• Sign up on trade platforms (e.g. Alibaba, Tradeford, Go4WorldBusiness)
• Neogric – Neogric is one of the reliable Crayfish/Prawns exporters in Neogric is rated among the best in the exporting business in Nigeria. The company is not limited to the exportation of Crayfish/Prawns alone but can export other agricultural produce ranging from perishables to dry seeds.

 

How To Pay For Your Crayfish/Prawns Produce

You can pay for Crayfish/Prawns using different methods, but three of the popular ways of paying for your agric produce are:

• Bank (T/T) Payment
• Advance Payment
• Letter of Credit (LC)

 

Bank Payment (T/T)

Bank payment is also known as T/T, “Telegraphic Transfer” or “Telex Transfer” In other words, it is an international wire of funds from the buyer’s bank to the seller’s bank.

A T/T is technically not the same as a wire transfer, which is often done through the SWIFT network. However, when a seller or supplier asks for a T/T payment, a wire transfer is what they are really asking for.

The wire transfer based on the SWIFT system is the most common payment method in international trade. Typically, it takes 1-5 working days to clear, and generally costs between 25 and 50 USD, depending on your agreement with the commercial department in your bank.

 

Advance Payment

There are sellers that will demand anywhere from 30% to 50% advance payment, and for good reason. If both parties have done deals in the past, sellers can ask for a percentage of the sales (about 30%) before they ship the produce and they can request for the remaining amount after a scanned copy of the Bill of Lading has been sent to the buyer.

It is the safest option for exporters and it also guarantees that they will have some funds to help with sourcing. It is popular among manufacturers on B2B marketplaces like Alibaba and also with commodity traders.

However, advance payment carries considerable risk for the importer (buyer) because the exporter (seller) might not be under as much pressure to ensure quality checks compared with a stricter form of payment. Some might even disappear entirely.

Having said that, advance payment is very useful and is widely used. For instance, the seller might need to secure the commodity in the face of increased competition. It can also be used when the exporter needs some money for sourcing the produce or for processing raw materials.

The most important thing is for both importer and exporter to build mutual trust by having a track record of successful deals with each other or other known companies.

 

Letter of Credit

Letter of Credit is an agreement generated by the bank of the buyer, guaranteeing payment once certain conditions are met. It is one of the safest types of payment available to both buyer and seller.

Some of the types of Letter of credit are:

 

• Commercial Letter of Credit,
• Sight Letter of Credit
• Transferrable or Non-Transferable Letter of Credit
• Standby Letter of Credit (SBLC)
• Usance or Deferred Payment Letter of Credit
• Revocable or Irrevocable Letter of Credit
• Confirmed or Unconfirmed Letter of Credit
• Revolving Letter of Credit
• Green Clause Letter of Credit
• Red Clause Letter of Credit

 

L/Cs are not totally safe (for either buyer or seller) too. For instance, sellers can ship substandard products or those that are different from the ones agreed upon. In this case, the seller gets paid and the buyer receives goods he cannot use.

And speaking of the dangers of L/Cs for the exporter, the conditions in the Letter of credit might be practically impossible to fulfil; if an exporter agrees to such, he might be unable to receive payment. A report stated that of the letters of credit received in the UK, 50% are unworkable while 70% are rejected by the banks for payment.

 

Shipping & Delivery Terms

When shipping your products, it is important to take note of a few factors:

 

Order Quantity

For smaller shipments, airfreight is often the preferred option but as the order volume increases, sea freight could become significantly cheaper. Usually when the order is close to a full container load (20 ft), sea freight is used. Although the Covid-19 pandemic caused an increase in cost of delivery of products, prices have stabilised.

 

Cost of Delivery

When the order is of a large volume, sea freight often turns out cheaper than air freight. In fact, air freight could be up to 6 times more costly than sea freight if the volume is large enough.

 

Time of Delivery

Sometimes, time will be more important to the buyer than the cost of delivering the product. In this case, air freight will be the logical option (as stated above, the cost will be more). But if you have more time as a buyer, you should strongly consider using sea freight.

 

Incoterms

Incoterms refer to generally accepted shipping and payments terms. For example, buyers that have representatives in the source country or that can negotiate with the freight company can use the Free of Board (FOB) terms, since it gives them more control and can save them some money.

However, if the shipment is small or the buyer doesn’t have an extensive network to effectively handle payment for freight, insurance and port charges, he will be better off choosing the Cost-Insurance-Freight (CIF) payment option.

 

Neogric: Top Exporters and Suppliers of Crayfish/Prawns

We invite you to place your order for high-quality Crayfish/Prawns with us at Neogric. We are a trusted global commodity sourcing and trade solution provider with deep expertise in the Crayfish/Prawns industry. Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, our wide range of products and technology powered, end-to-end supply chain make the export of quality Crayfish/Prawns easy, quick and safe. Whichever region of the world you are, be it Europe, Asia, USA, Canada, Other North/Central American countries, Africa, South America or Oceania, you can reliably order your agricultural produce and we will ensure it is successfully delivered to you, on time.

Why Buy Crayfish/Prawns From Neogric?

Choosing Neogric as your Crayfish/Prawns supplier offers several advantages:

• Quality Assurance: We maintain strict quality control standards, ensuring our Crayfish/Prawns and other products are of the highest quality.
• Wide Product Range: We offer a diverse selection of products, catering to various
• Reliable Supply Chain: Our efficient technology-powered end-to-end supply chain ensures timely delivery of your orders.
• Expertise and Support: Our team of experts provides valuable insights and support, making your purchasing process smooth and hassle-free.

 

Our Crayfish/Prawns Trade Specifications

• Origin: Nigeria
• Product Name: Crayfish/Prawns
• Physical Specification: Based On Buyer’s Specification
• Quantity: Based On Buyer’s Specification
• MOQ: 10 Metric Tonnes
• Trade Process: Ex Works/FOB/CIF
• Admixture/Impurities: Based On Buyer’s Specification
• Inspection: SGS/Cotecna/Intertek/Bureau Veritas
• Packaging: Based On Buyer’s Specification
• Payment Method: TT (Bank Transfer) or L/C
• Shipping Time: 15 to 25 Days After Confirmation of TT or L/C
• Loading Port: Lagos (Nigeria), Abidjan (Cote D’ivoire) or Tema (Ghana)

 

Expected Shipping Documents

• Bill of Lading
• Certificate of Origin
• SGS Inspection Certificate
• Phytosanitary Certificate
• Fumigation Certificate
• Commercial Invoice
• Packing List

 

Place Your Crayfish/Prawns Order With Neogric

Contact us today to place your order for high-quality Crayfish/Prawns. Our team is ready to assist you with all your procurement needs.

• Tel: +2348147860157
• Email: neo@neogric.com
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