Ho Chi Minh City boosts ornamental fish exports

HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’s ornamental fish breeding industry is seeking to expand consumption markets as production and export of the species have been growing.

According to statistics from the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the first nine months of the year, the city produced 115 million ornamental fish, up 18 percent year-on-year, and earned 15.11 million USD from exporting 13.36 million fish, respectively surging 35 percent and 23 percent from the same time last year.

Small-scale and scattered production without cooperation among production establishments has made it difficult for Vietnamese suppliers to satisfy large orders, said Le Minh Phu, owner of Phu Ca ornamental fish farm in District 12.

To handle the problem, a specialised area should be zoned off to raise different kinds of ornamental fish, he suggested.

However, Tong Huu Chau, owner of Chau Tong ornamental fish farm in District 12 and Chairman of the city’s ornamental creature association, said that it is difficult to set up such a zone due to limited land fund in the city.

Establishment of “satellite” ornamental fish farm systems will be a better choice as it reduces planning for ornamental fish farming land and helps breeders form their own ornamental fish village to branch out business.

Linking with fish exporters is the best solution for fish breeders to increase their income, said Vo Thi Mong Thu, head of the city’s fisheries department.

New pet fish species must be developed in parallel with improving their quality as they play significant roles in improving Vietnamese fish’s competitive capacity. Especially, Asian countries like China and Singapore import new kinds of Vietnamese ornamental fish and then export to other countries in their brand names.

Vietnamese pet fish are shipped to 47 countries, with Europe accounting for 60-70 percent of the market share. Other major buyers are Germany, the UK, Sweden, Denmark, France, Italy, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.

Ho Chi Minh City is a major centre for breeding ornamental fish, accounting for 50 percent of the country’s ornamental fish export earnings, according to the city’s Centre for Agricultural Consultancy and Support. It has bred many species, both foreign and local, and has established many feed mills that contributes to the growth of the industry.-VNA