Tra fish shipments give hope to aquatic product exports
Tra fish (pangasius) exports are likely to surpass 2 billion USD for the first time this year, presenting an opportunity for Vietnam’s aquatic product exports to realise or even exceed its yearly goal of 9 billion USD.
Hanoi (VNA) – Tra fish(pangasius) exports are likely to surpass 2 billion USD for the first time thisyear, presenting an opportunity for Vietnam’s aquatic product exports torealise or even exceed its yearly goal of 9 billion USD.
Tra fish is one of three key aquatic exportsof Vietnam, alongside shrimp and tuna. According to Chairman of the VietnamPangasius Association Duong Nghia Quoc, eight Mekong Delta provinces have todate farmed Tra fish on 4,033 hectares of water surface for an annual yield of814,086 tonnes.
In January-July, tra fish shipped overseasreeled in nearly 1.2 billion USD, up about 20 percent year-on-year.
General Secretary of the Vietnam Associationof Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) Truong Dinh Hoe said the figuremeans Vietnam exported 200 million USD of Tra fish on a monthly average, up 50million USD compared to the same periods in recent years.
He added that the August – December period iswhen Tra fish exports reach full swing. If the 200-million-USD-per-month exportis sustained, turnover this year could reach at least 2 billion USD, 20 percenthigher than 2017, Hoe projected.
He also pointed to a shortage of materialsfor Tra fish processing, which will possibly last until April 2019, as thenumber of farmed fish has been failing to meet demand from plants. Therefore,prices of both Tra fish materials and exports are high, he said.
In the first half of 2018, prices of Trafish materials were at 25,000 – 27,000 per kg, between 4,500 and 7,000 VNDhigher than the average price of 2017.
Meanwhile, shrimp and tuna exports arepredicted to hit 4-4.2 billion USD and hit 560 million USD by year’s end,respectively.
Hoe explained the export of the three majorproducts often makes up 70 percent of the total fishery exports, while overseasshipments of other aquatic products (including tuna) often contribute about 3billion USD to the sum.
He said the 9 billion USD export target setfor the sector in 2018 is within reach.
In the first eight months of 2018, fisheryexports were estimated at 5.47 billion USD.-VNA
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Processing Tra fish for export (Photo: VNA) 
