The environmental impacts of aquaculture and sustainable productionpractices have become important factors in purchasing decisions made byexport markets, experts have said.
Farmers, breeders and processors should be aware of this and applystrict standards in all their operations, Pham Anh Tuan, deputy directorof the General Department of Fisheries told a conference in HCMCity on April 25.
The conference, which focused on tra(pangasius) exports, heard that Vietnam exported 153,062 tonnes ofthe fish worth 376,430 USD in the first three months of the year, anincrease of 5.2 percent in volume and 21.6 percent in value over thesame period last year.
While releasing these figures, ToThi Tuong Lan, Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Association ofSeafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said that the increase in valuereflected a rise in export price.
There has been a steady increase in the export price for tra fillets of late, according to Lan.
Tra fish shipped to Europe fetches about 3.2 USD – 3.3 USD perkilo, up 22 percent over the end of last year, while US shipments fetchhigher prices of nearly 4 USD per kilo.
The prices are expected to increase by another 10 percent or so in the coming months because of supply shortages.
Currently, EU is the largest importer of Vietnamese tra fish,accounting for 33.1 percent of the country's total pangasius exports,followed by the US and Japan .
Pangasius export toSouth America, especially Brazil , Russia and several Asiancountries has also surged strongly in the past three months.
However, Lan also cautioned against optimism, saying several challengesstill lay ahead, including a shortage of raw materials and risingproduction costs.
Though exporters and processors wereoffering high prices of 28,500-28,800 VND per kilo, they were stillfinding it very hard to get enough tra fish, she said.
This scarcity was expected to last until the year-end, she added.
The total tra output is estimated at 500,000 tonnes this year, about 100,000 tonnes less than in 2010.
Many seafood processors in southern provinces are upset about thesevere shortage in raw materials, as their facilities are running farbelow designed capacity.
Nguyen Huu Dung, Vasep DeputyChairman, said high interest rates and the increase in production costscaused a lot of difficulties for processors and exporters.
Acknowledging the problems, Luong Le Phuong, Deputy Minister ofAgriculture and Rural Development, advised enterprises to "review andcut unnecessary costs and seek measures to use electricity moreefficiency to lower their production costs."
He also askedthe Fisheries General Department to work with local seafood processorsand exporters as well as local authorities to encourage a shift fromquantity to quality so that fish breeding and farming could develop in asustainable manner.
Pham Anh Tuan, deputy director of theFisheries General Department, agreed with Phuong, saying the currentdifficulties were rooted in the quantity-based development that hadtaken place over the last 10 years.
"This challenge is also an opportunity for the sector to restructure," he said.
"Consumers nowadays not only require good quality products but alsorequire that the production process does not have a negative impact onthe environment," he said.
Tuan said his department wascollecting ideas from businesses and relevant agencies for a new decreeon pangasius production and consumption that could be submitted to theGovernment for approval by the end of May.
Based on globalGap (Good Agriculture Practices) norms, the department plans to set upnational standards for pangasius and shrimp production, according toTuan.
The department also expects to sign a Memorandum ofUnderstanding with the GlobalGap organisation in May for trainingVietnamese staff in application and certification of GAP standards.
Applying GAP in pangasius production would help ensure their qualityand reduce environmental impacts as well as diseases that affect thecrop frequently, he said./.
Farmers, breeders and processors should be aware of this and applystrict standards in all their operations, Pham Anh Tuan, deputy directorof the General Department of Fisheries told a conference in HCMCity on April 25.
The conference, which focused on tra(pangasius) exports, heard that Vietnam exported 153,062 tonnes ofthe fish worth 376,430 USD in the first three months of the year, anincrease of 5.2 percent in volume and 21.6 percent in value over thesame period last year.
While releasing these figures, ToThi Tuong Lan, Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Association ofSeafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said that the increase in valuereflected a rise in export price.
There has been a steady increase in the export price for tra fillets of late, according to Lan.
Tra fish shipped to Europe fetches about 3.2 USD – 3.3 USD perkilo, up 22 percent over the end of last year, while US shipments fetchhigher prices of nearly 4 USD per kilo.
The prices are expected to increase by another 10 percent or so in the coming months because of supply shortages.
Currently, EU is the largest importer of Vietnamese tra fish,accounting for 33.1 percent of the country's total pangasius exports,followed by the US and Japan .
Pangasius export toSouth America, especially Brazil , Russia and several Asiancountries has also surged strongly in the past three months.
However, Lan also cautioned against optimism, saying several challengesstill lay ahead, including a shortage of raw materials and risingproduction costs.
Though exporters and processors wereoffering high prices of 28,500-28,800 VND per kilo, they were stillfinding it very hard to get enough tra fish, she said.
This scarcity was expected to last until the year-end, she added.
The total tra output is estimated at 500,000 tonnes this year, about 100,000 tonnes less than in 2010.
Many seafood processors in southern provinces are upset about thesevere shortage in raw materials, as their facilities are running farbelow designed capacity.
Nguyen Huu Dung, Vasep DeputyChairman, said high interest rates and the increase in production costscaused a lot of difficulties for processors and exporters.
Acknowledging the problems, Luong Le Phuong, Deputy Minister ofAgriculture and Rural Development, advised enterprises to "review andcut unnecessary costs and seek measures to use electricity moreefficiency to lower their production costs."
He also askedthe Fisheries General Department to work with local seafood processorsand exporters as well as local authorities to encourage a shift fromquantity to quality so that fish breeding and farming could develop in asustainable manner.
Pham Anh Tuan, deputy director of theFisheries General Department, agreed with Phuong, saying the currentdifficulties were rooted in the quantity-based development that hadtaken place over the last 10 years.
"This challenge is also an opportunity for the sector to restructure," he said.
"Consumers nowadays not only require good quality products but alsorequire that the production process does not have a negative impact onthe environment," he said.
Tuan said his department wascollecting ideas from businesses and relevant agencies for a new decreeon pangasius production and consumption that could be submitted to theGovernment for approval by the end of May.
Based on globalGap (Good Agriculture Practices) norms, the department plans to set upnational standards for pangasius and shrimp production, according toTuan.
The department also expects to sign a Memorandum ofUnderstanding with the GlobalGap organisation in May for trainingVietnamese staff in application and certification of GAP standards.
Applying GAP in pangasius production would help ensure their qualityand reduce environmental impacts as well as diseases that affect thecrop frequently, he said./.
