According to the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the breeding area for pangasius fish is currently around 5,910 hectares with output around 1.28 million tons and export turnover of USD 1.74 billion, a year-on-year drop of 3.4 percent.
These figures were revealed at a meeting organized by the ministry on 25 January to review production and consumption of pangasius in the Mekong Delta in the year 2012 and plans for 2013.
At the meeting, Truong Dinh Hoe, General Secretary of Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), predicted that the production of pangasius in 2013 will decrease below one million tons or around 800,000 tons, resulting in low export turnover of USD 1.5 billion.
