The Vietnamese government has chosen pangasius, whiteleg shrimp, and giant tiger shrimp as three core species that the country will focus its farming capacity on to develop.
According to a decision effective 30 January, 2019, signed by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung last month, the three farmed species were selected partly because they are capable of competing against the same products from other countries in both domestic and international markets.
The farming of these species is naturally suitable in Vietnam and helps generate many jobs for local people, Dung said. It also creates opportunities for developing large-scale farming areas using advanced technologies.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is in charge of formulating and implementing strategies and policies for development of the species, according to the decision.
Vietnam is the biggest supplier of pangasius in the world. It was estimated to have taken in USD 2.26 billion (EUR 1.98 billion) from exports of pangasius in 2018, up 26.4 percent from 2017, a statement from the General Department of Fisheries showed on 25 December.
The general department is working with local pangasius companies to create a Vietnamese brand of high-quality pangasius fillet products with a view to making them have a quality equivalent with that of Norway’s salmon, Vietnam News Agency reported 2 January, quoting Tran Dinh Luan, deputy director of the general department.
The general department is also cooperating with shrimp companies to produce high-quality broodstock, Luan added.
The country is a leading exporter of shrimp. It was expected to have exported whiteleg shrimp worth USD 2.48 billion (EUR 2.18 billion) last year, down two percent year-on-year. The export value of giant tiger shrimp was estimated to have fallen 7.8 percent to USD 810 million (EUR 710.6 million) in 2018, according to the general department.
The total export value of pangasius, whiteleg and giant tiger shrimp last year was about USD 5.84 billion (EUR 5.14 billion), accounting for roughly 65 percent of the country’s estimated seafood export value of USD 9 billion (EUR 7.92 billion).
