Agriculture ministry to hold tra fish fair in Hanoi in October

CAN THO – The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development plans to organize a fair for Vietnam’s tra fish (pangasius) and seafood in Hanoi in October in an effort to promote their sales in the country’s northern market, and expand exports, especially to China.

China is a large buyer of Vietnamese seafood products, especially tra fish. Statistics of the agriculture ministry show Vietnam shipped seafood products worth around US$2.8 billion to the northern neighbor in the first five months of the year, a year-on-year rise of over 10%.

China overtook the U.S. as the largest importer of Vietnamese pangasius fish in the first quarter of the year, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers.

The period saw tra fish exports to the Chinese market soaring a hefty 57% year-on-year to around US$70 million. On the contrary, revenue from tra fish shipments to the U.S. declined by over 24% to US$61 million.

The association says the export of tra fish products has been hindered by a recent smear campaign against their quality on the European Union market.

Therefore, the ministry considers the upcoming fair as a way to promote the image of local tra fish products abroad, thereby bolstering the sector’s export growth.

The association predicts the export turnover of Vietnam’s seafood products will be around US$7.4 billion this year, up 6% year-on-year.

Local seafood companies have boosted their tra fish exports to China. As a result, the local price of tra fish has remained high, at VND24,000-26,000 a kilo, in the Mekong Delta, according to the ministry.

Farmers in the area harvested around 466,000 tons of tra fish in January-May, a year-on-year increase of over 11%.