Vietnam-based shrimp producer Fimex (Sao Ta) was able to increase its shrimp production and export value in July, but its growth rates remained modest due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company produced 2,346 metric tons (MT) of processed shrimp in July, up 3.4 percent year-on-year. Fimex sold 1,876 MT of shrimp in the month, 4.1 percent higher year-on-year. The company’s export value in July was USD 22.1 million (EUR 18.6 million), rising 8.9 percent from the same month last year.
Its July totals, lower than its more robust figures from previous months, were hit by the raging COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam, which has resulted in significant problems for the country's seafood sector.
Vietnam is facing its worst-ever outbreak of COVID-19, particularly in the country's south, where most of its seafood producers are headquartered. Between 27 April and 4 August, an estimated 171,000 people have contracted the virus. In comparison, between early 2020 and April 2021, Vietnam’s cases totaled less than 3,000.
The outbreak prompted Vietnamese government to impose lockdowns in several southern provinces and cities to curb the spread since the middle of July.
According to Fimex, the company’s operations have been negatively affected by the lockdowns, leading to lower growth in July.
Fimex said its first shrimp crop harvest ended 16 July, and seeding for the second crop is expected to be finished within this month, despite numerous hurdles caused by the pandemic.
During the lockdowns, Fimex said, like other companies in Vietnam, it has been allowed to operate, but its workers must work, eat, and sleep within corporate facilities and completely isolate from the public and their families.
However, only about 30 percent of seafood companies in the southern region have been able to meet the government's requirements for safe operation. Production capacity at these companies has been reduced by around 50 percent, as most can only house between 30 and 50 percent of the workforce at the factories, Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said in a statement on 2 August.
Photo courtesy of Fimex
