Tra fish price peaks on stronger export to China

The price of tra fish, or pangasius, has soared to VND29,000 (US$1.27) a kilo, a record high in years, due to the high demand of the Chinese market.

Workers process tra fish fillets at a factory in the Mekong Delta. The tra fish price has skyrocketed owing to China’s bigger demand - Photo: Trung Chanh

In early 2016, the tra fish price plunged to only VND18,000 a kilo, the lowest price since 2010. However, the price has increased gradually in the following months.

Although Vietnam has had difficulty boosting tra fish exports to Europe, the domestic market has not been much affected because exports of this product to China are increasing.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the tra fish export turnover reached US$1.71 billion in 2016, up nearly 10% against 2015, as China overtook the EU as the second largest buyer of Vietnamese tra fish.

Last year, the revenue of tra fish exported to China reached nearly US$305 million, up nearly 89% against 2015. China may overtake the U.S. to become Vietnam’s largest tra fish export market in 2017.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said farmers should focus on protecting the next fish farming season because the unstable water quality has been causing diseases lately.