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Egyptian press runs positive news about basa catfish
The widely circulated Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram (Pyramid) carried a comprehensive report on March 31 featuring Vietnam’s basa catfish and proposals from Egyptian importers of the fish.
The article said the two countries’ diplomats have intensively discussed Vietnamese basa fish imported to Egypt, especially after the Egyptian embassy in Hanoi suspended the granting of customs declarations for Vietnam’s new consignments of basa as well as other seafood on March 26.
During a meeting on March 29, Vietnamese Minister Counsellor Tran Viet Tu and an Egyptian Deputy Minister of International Cooperation agreed that Egypt will dispatch a delegation - comprising representatives of its commerce, health and agriculture ministries - to visit basa-breeding farms in Vietnam, reported Al Ahram.
The newspaper quoted Egyptian importers as calling on the Egyptian Embassy in Hanoi to quickly resume the granting of customs declarations so that basa fish may soon reach Egyptian consumers.
They affirmed that basa fish from Vietnam is safe and reasonably priced for Egyptian consumers.
Badr al-Din, an Egyptian importer of the fish, said Vietnam’s basa is currently shipped to 130 countries, including the US and EU as major markets. The EU imported more than 19,000 tonnes of basa from Vietnam from early this year to February, while Egypt imported only 1,308 tonnes in the same period. Mr al-Din said Egypt imported 14,000 tonnes of basa in 2008 and the figure is expected to rise to 20,000 tonnes this year.
The Al Ahram daily added that the Medicine Faculty of Cairo University will hold a seminar on the risk of contamination for fish and salted fish on April 16 with the participation of Egyptian scientists. Vietnamese basa fish will be discussed thoroughly at the event.
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