Impacts of COVID-19 to Middlemen in Shrimp Farming in Dam Doi District, Ca Mau Province, Vietnam

This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on middlemen involved in farmed shrimp collection in Dam Doi district, Ca Mau province, Vietnam. The 10 middlemen surveyed collected shrimp within their home commune, Dam Doi district, or Ca Mau province. In 2020 and 2021, almost all of them experienced a decline in the quantity of shrimp collected, frequency of collection trips, and their annual income compared to 2019. We identify three processes behind these changes. First, the collection quantity and annual income declined because of slowed collection activities caused by movement restrictions within the same geographical areas in which middlemen usually operate. Second, middlemen voluntarily refrained from collecting shrimp during movement restrictions outside their collection areas. Third, although the collection frequency stayed the same, customer demand during movement restrictions decreased. In conclusion, middlemen in Dam Doi district were unable to collect enough shrimp to maintain their annual income, with the causes varying according to the degree of overlap between their collection areas and movement restrictions.