The output of farmed shrimp and tra fish (pangasius) in the Mekong Delta region plummeted rapidly this month due to the combination of a complex epidemic and bad weather conditions, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Regional departments of agriculture and rural development reported that the production of tra fish in most localities throughout the region was down compared to the same period last year.

Accordingly, the provinces of Ben Tre, Vinh Long and Dong Thap saw a drop in tra fish output of 9.1 percent, 7 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively, despite the expansion of farming areas during this period.

Meanwhile, several localities in the Mekong Delta reported declines in black-tiger shrimp output and a shrinkage in breeding areas. Ben Tre was most severely affected, with a 27.4 percent drop in output and 5.3 percent contraction in breeding areas, followed by Bac Lieu with 7.3 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively.

Localities in the South-East, such as Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and Ho Chi Minh City , saw a reduction in output of 6.7 percent compared to data for August 2013.
Vietnam ’s aquaculture and seafood outputs during the first half of 2014 peaked at 2.86 million tonnes, up 4.4 percent from last year.

Localities in the Mekong Delta are striving towards a total output of 1.6 million tonnes of tra fish (pangasius) and export revenues of 2.5-3 billion USD by 2020.-VNA