A number of strong typhoons along with heavy rains and floods have affected aquaculture and fishing activities in central Vietnam, causing the country’s seafood output to fall in October, according to newly-published data from the General Statistics Office.
Vietnam was estimated to produce 786,900 metric tons (MT) of seafood in October, down 1.1 percent year-on-year, with the declines seen in both farmed and wild-catch output.
The country's total production from aquaculture in October was estimated at 476,100 MT, down 1.6 percent year-on-year. That total comprised of an estimated 324,500 MT of fish, 3 percent lower year-on-year; and an estimated 108,200 MT of shrimp, rising by 0.5 percent year-on-year.
Prices of pangasius material recovered in October, with the rates rising by between VND 3,000 and VND 4,000 (USD 0.13 and USD 0.17, EUR 0.11 and EUR 0.15) per kilogram to VND 23,000 and VND 24,000 (USD 0.99 and USD 1.03, EUR 0.84 and EUR 0.88) per kilogram, as output was lower, GSO said.
Vietnam’s production of pangasius was estimated at 122,600 MT in the month, down 14.6 percent from a year earlier.
Prices of shrimp have climbed up since September as exports to many key markets improved.
According to Minh Phu’s CEO Le Van Quang, material prices have increased continuously since 21 October as local processors were ramping up production to meet export orders.
The output of whiteleg shrimp also surged 9.4 percent to an estimated 73,500 MT in October. The production of black tiger shrimp fell 16.3 percent year-on-year to 28,800 MT in the month.
In October, fishermen in central Vietnam had their fishing days cut by much more than in September during typhoons from the South China Sea. Therefore, the country’s wild-catch fisheries output in the month shrank by 0.3 percent year-on-year to an estimated 310,800 MT, including 237,400 MT of fish, up 0.7 percent year-on-year; 12,100 MT of shrimp, 0.8 percent higher year-on-year; and 63,100 MT of other species, down 4.6 percent from last year.
Over January-October of 2020, Vietnam produced an estimated 6.91 million MT of seafood, up 1.3 percent from the same period last year. That total comprised of an estimated 3.69 million MT from aquaculture, 0.9 percent higher year-on-year; and an estimated 3.22 million MT of wild-caught output, 1.8 percent higher year-on-year.
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