Vietnam fisheries struggle despite export increase
By SeafoodSource staff
01 October, 2012
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Seafood exports in the first eight months of the year reached USD 4 billion, up 5.8 percent year-on-year, but most farmers and small processing enterprises in the sector are suffering.
Shrimp and tra fish are the two big export earners in the sector, but many farmers cultivating them have suffered losses because of low prices, diseases and high input costs.
Nguyen Khac Phuc, a farmer in Hong Ngu Town, the main tra fish farming area in Dong Thap Province, said: “The price of tra fish that weighs less than 1kg has recently gone down to VND 22,000-22,200 per kg, while those that weigh more than 1kg each are priced at VND 19,500-20,000 per kg. We have got great loss due to the cost price of VND24,000 per kg.”
Nguyen Trang Su, deputy chairman of Hong Ngu District, where the town of the same name is located, said tra fish farmers have suffered several losses this year.
Many households have resorted to feeding the fish less while “waiting for the price to go up.”
Meanwhile, many households cultivating shrimp in the provinces of Tra Vinh, Ben Tre, Soc Trang and Ca Mau are miserable because diseases have caused mass deaths in their ponds.
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01 October, 2012