The fish was exported to 149 countries andterritories with the major markets being the US and EU, buyingalmost 45 percent and accounted for 26 percent of total seafood exportsand second only behind shrimp.
According to VASEP, in theMekong Delta, tra fish is farmed on 4,679ha, only 87 percent of the arealast year. More than 1 million tonnes have been harvested this year atan average of 276 tonnes per hectare.
Deputy Chairman of theVietnamese Tra Fish Association Vo Hung Dung said the industry faceddifficulties since the farming area had shrunk.
Exports to theUS rose 5.1 percent this year but the EU bought 10.7 percent lesscompared with the same period last year.
Exports to the 14 markets in the Middle East have also declined.
The seminar discussed issues relating to the title "Developing Marketsand Raising Value Addition of Tra Fish in the Mekong Delta", includingthe work on brand building.
It was organised by the Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development's Department of Farm, Forestry andSeafood Processing Department, and the Vietnamese Tra Fish Association.-VNA