Vietnam no longer exclusive exporter of tra fish

Vietnam no longer holds the monopoly in exporting tra fish as many other countries have joined the market - PHOTO: TRUNG CHANH

Vietnam will no longer dominate the global tra fish market as many other countries have taken to tra fish processing and export in direct competition with the local tra fish sector, officials said.

At a conference on the production and consumption of tra fish held yesterday, August 21, in An Giang Province, Nhu Van Can, director of the Aquaculture Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Directorate of Fisheries, noted that many countries have invested heavily in tra fish production, creating fierce competition for local firms.

India and Bangladesh, in particular, annually process 650,000 and 450,000 tons of tra fish, respectively. Notably, China has also employed advanced technologies in tra fish farming.

Truong Dinh Hoe, general secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), added that China has harvested 10,000 tons of tra fish in its Hainan Province. In addition, the volume of tra fish farmed in Indonesia has reached 110,000 tons per year.

However, Hoe pointed out that these countries would be likely to reduce their tra fish import volume, reducing in turn the number of potential markets for Vietnamese exports. He proposed Vietnamese tra fish exporters should focus on the quality of the product rather than the export volume.

According to VASEP, the tra fish sector has contributed significantly to the agriculture sector’s development over the last 20 years.

The country exported US$1.65 million worth of tra fish in 1997, making up a mere 0.2% of the total export revenue of the seafood sector. However, the figures surged to more than US$1.7 billion and 20%, respectively, last year.

The product has enjoyed preference in many markets, including the United States, China, Hong Kong and other ASEAN countries.

According to the VASEP general secretary, the domestic tra fish sector should enhance control over the use of banned substances in farming.

Moreover, the export of tra fish to China revealed numerous problems, especially with road transport. VASEP has repeatedly suggested issuing certificates of food safety for tra fish shipments sent to China over land to ensure fairness for tra fish enterprises and the quality of the product being shipped to the northern neighbor, thus contributing to stabilizing the market, stated Hoe.

The conference also included a signing ceremony for a three-tier cooperation agreement to produce high-quality tra fish breeds in An Giang Province.

The Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 2 in the first tier inked deals with Viet-Uc Tra Fish JSC; the An Giang Aquaculture Breeding Center; the Can Tho Fisheries, Plant and Animal Breeding Center; and Mung Lien JSC, which are in the second tier.

Besides this, the An Giang Aquaculture Breeding Center, the fish breeding unit under the An Giang Fisheries Association, Loc Kim Chi Co., Ltd, and Mung Lien JSC clinched deals with three farms.

According to a report by VASEP, from January to July, the sector generated nearly US$1.2 billion from tra fish exports, up 19% year-on-year. China was Vietnam’s largest importer, with turnover of nearly US$290 million, accounting for nearly a quarter of the total tra fish export revenue and surging 40.6% over the same period last year.

The United States ranked second, with US$255 million, followed by the European Union, with US$139 million, making up 21.3% and 11.6%, respectively.

Nguyen Xuan Cuong, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, forecast the tra fish export turnover this year would hit US$2 billion for the first time.

VASEP General Secretary Hoe predicted the export revenue could even exceed US$2 billion, up US$300 million versus last year.