Vietnam has developed a plan for tra catfish that will increase Mekong Delta production to 1.25 million tons by 2010 and 1.85 million tons by 2020, according to a report in Asia Pulse.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will develop breeding of tra in areas such as the Tien and Hau rivers. Water and land areas will be zoned for the production of fry and for fish processing factories in Can Tho city and An Giang, Dong Thap, Vinh Long, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Tien Giang, Ben Tre and Tra Vinh provinces.
MARD expects the region's tra exports will increase by an average 5.9 percent annually, to reach $1.5 billion in sales by 2010 and $2.3 billion by 2020.
Tra and basa catfish have become Vietnam's key seafood export, valued at $1 billion in exports for the first nine months of this year. Growth rates for that period have increased 77 percent in volume and 52 percent in value compared to the same period last year.
