2012 - a challenging year for aquaculture sector

In the first month of 2012, aquatic exports only stood at US $370 million, posting a slight year-on-year decrease.

The slight drop in export turnover was largely due to economic difficulties in European countries and a decline in transactions in the period of Lunar New Year.

In 2012, the fishery sector has set to earn US $6.5-6.7 billion in export revenues, up 20-25% against 2011. Catfish exports are, particularly, expected to harvest US $1.8-2 billion, shrimp, US $2.5 billion, and seafood, US $2 billion.

Trương Đình Hòe, General Secretary of the Việt Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) predicted that in spite of difficulties in raw materials, export markets and food hygiene standards, materials of shrimp and tuna would be improved.

So far, aquatic enterprises are implementing the Aquaculture Export Development Strategy in the 2010-2020 period to achieve the target of US $10 billion in seafood exports and convert Việt Nam into one of the four largest seafood exporters in the world.

According to MARD Deputy Minister Vũ Văn Tám, the aquaculture sector needs more support from the Government, State agencies as well as cooperation from farmers, fishermen, processing and export enterprises to raise product quality, supply more raw materials, establish chain management systems, ensure food hygiene and boost trade brands./.

By Kim Anh