|
Tra fish prices rising, supply short
The prices of tra fish have recovered strongly since the beginning of the week after a long time of sliding. However, a new worry has cropped up: The supply is becoming short and a lot of export orders are coming.
In Can Tho city, good-quality tra fish are now selling at VND13,800-14,000/kg, while less-than-1-kg fish are priced at VND14,500-14,700/kg.
Nevertheless, farmers are still incurring losses with the price levels; therefore, they are still not ready for the new farming season. Experts have warned that processing workshops will lack tra materials in the coming months.
Market warming up
Seafood experts believe that all oversize fish will be purchased by processing workshops by the end of September as countries in the world, especially new markets like Russia, the Middle East and in Asia, are trying to increase imports from Vietnam.
It always happens that the seafood consumption volume increases in the EU and many other markets in the world in the time from late September or early October, which promises higher value for Vietnam’s tra.
Duong Ngoc Minh, General Director of Hung Vuong Company Ltd, said that the company purchased tra fish directly from farmers late last week at VND15,000/kg.
It is expected that tra fish prices may go up in two months as the output has reduced by 40% as a lot of farmers, who suffered losses in the last crop, have given up farming.
According to the Thoi An Tra Fish Culture Cooperative in Can Tho city, good quality fish (0.9-1kg/unit) are selling at VND14,300-14,500/kg, while the production cost is as high as VND18,500-19,000/kg. A lot of processing workshops have been trying to contact farmers directly to purchase fish, which has prompted farmers to raise sale prices to VND15,500-15,700/kg.
According to the Can Tho Aquatic Product Association, the price of tra fish will increase further in some days, since the remaining volume of material fish is small, while the demand for less-than-1kg fish is increasing.
Fish shortage anticipated
A quick survey conducted two weeks ago showed that Can Tho had 40,000 tonnes of fish only, while the figure has decreased over the last two weeks. It is expected that the volume will not be big enough to meet the demand of processing workshops.
Bui Huu Tri, Chairman of the Can Tho Aquatic Product Association, said that though farmers have been informed about the possible fish shortage, they still hesitate to keep farming, for fear they will incur heavy losses once again.
Duong Nghia Quoc, Deputy Director of the Dong Thap Department for Agriculture and Rural Development, in the province, good-quality fish are selling at VND14,500-14,700/kg, while oversize fish at VND13,800-14,000/kg.
With the losses from the last fish crop, farmers do not have capital for additional production. In principle, processing workshops have to make payment within 40-60 days after they get fish. However, a lot of companies still owe money though they got fish 3-4 months ago.
VNN
|
