Soc Trang’s shrimp exports up 9 percent this year despite COVID-19 hinh anh 1A female employee processes shrimp for export at Hung Phu Cooperative in Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang’s Cu Lao Dung district. (Photo: VNA)
Soc Trang (VNA)Soc Trang’s shrimp export turnover this year has topped 910 million USD, up 9 percent compared to  2020.

Huynh Ngoc Nha, director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development attributed the result to the adoption of high technology and advanced production models.

This year is considered a successful year for the province’s brackish water shrimp farming in terms of area, output and export value despite the serious impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The province has 53,000 ha of brackish water shrimp farming, including 40,000 ha for white-leg shrimp cultivation. The area of intensive and semi-intensive farming accounted for 93 percent.

The shrimp output is estimated to reach 183,000 tonnes by the end of this year, a year-on-year increase of 17.8 percent.

The shrimp price was high in the first months of 2021 compared to the same period last year but it decreased remarkably in July and August due to the resurgence of the pandemic. The price of raw shrimp started to rise again at the beginning of September, which is a positive signal of the effective direction of production and pandemic prevention of the agricultural sector.

The province has set the goal of expanding the area under brackish water shrimp cultivation to 51,000 ha with an output of 196,000 tonnes next year.

To achieve the target, it will gather small-scale farming households into groups or cooperatives as well as connect large raw material production areas with enterprises that supply materials in line with the value chain. The replication of effective farming models will be promoted and farmers are encouraged to apply advanced technology and farming models that are friendly to the environment and adaptive to climate change for added value and sustainable development./.
VNA