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Cutting catfish for higher export prices
Pangasius (tra and basa catfish) production, which has grown rapidly recently, needs to be reduced to help loser supply and boost the fish’s export value, an industry leader has suggested.
Ngo Phuoc Hau, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors, said free breeding had increased the catfish output significantly but farmers had to sell at low prices as supply surpassed demand.
Catfish farmers blamed local businesses for paying them low prices.
While this is true, it’s also true that local catfish companies are being forced to lower their prices by foreign customers who know about the domestic production surplus, Hau said.
The Mekong Delta region is home to 84 catfish processing factories and the region’s catfish output has reached over 1.2 million tons this year.
He suggested supply in the catfish industry, one of the country’s most lucrative agricultural industries, should be adjusted to a lower level than demand to help raise catfish prices.
The Southern Institute of Fisheries Economics and Planning said the catfish industry in the Mekong Delta region has yet to be sustainable and is vulnerable to market changes while also potentially detrimental to the environment.
Thanhnien
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