Local shrimp farmers to operate on trading floor

CAN THO – Local shrimp farmers in the Mekong Delta region and across the country will be able to sell their shrimp products on a trading floor in the coming period.

Representatives of Cuu Long Investment and Technology JSC and participants pose for a group photo at a ceremony to launch a shrimp trading floor in Can Tho on April 5 – PHOTO: TRUNG CHANH

A ceremony to launch the trading floor was held today, April 5, in Can Tho City.

Addressing the ceremony, Nguyen Manh Trieu, vice chairman of the board of directors at Cuu Long Investment and Technology JSC, which operates the trading floor, said that the trading floor is a website on which shrimp farmers, processing plant operators and buyers can conduct shrimp trading activities.

The website also provides other shrimp-related information, such as price fluctuations, market analyses and market demand and supply, as well as non-cash payment services.

The establishment of the trading floor is expected to tackle a long-term thorny issue in the local shrimp sector. Shrimp raised by local farmers have to be traded through multiple traders before being presented to the market, under traditional trading practices.

With the trading floor, shrimp products can be traded directly between buyers and sellers.

Trieu added that he expected to connect processing plant operators with foreign shrimp importers through the trading floor as well, allowing local shrimp farmers to stay updated on shrimp price changes and find appropriate buyers for their shrimp products at reasonable prices.

However, Chau Trung Truc, director of Doan Ket Cooperative in the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau, expressed concern that shrimp quality may fail to meet buyers’ expectations, since they cannot know the quality of the shrimp when trading on the website.

Meanwhile, under traditional shrimp trading practices, traders visit shrimp farming facilities to inspect the shrimp quality before deciding on a purchase.

In response, Trieu told the Saigon Times later that day that shrimp sellers are required to publicize detailed information on their shrimp products on the website, so that buyers can view it before confirming a purchase. With online trading, the seller’s reputation is key.

After confirming deals online, buyers can visit the sellers’ farming facilities and can cancel the deal if the shrimp quality is not as good as advertised; the buyers will then receive negative reviews on their deals as a result, Trieu said.

Shrimp traders can access the website at https://cnsv.vn. Initially, there will be no fee to join. However, the website will charge them in the future to fund operations, he added.