|
Tra, basa exports to rebound
Tra and basa exports are expected to recover in the second half of this year but the yearly target is not expected to be met, according to the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
VASEP said exports of tra and basa would improve later this year because the value of the euro was expected to increase against the US dollar. The European Union is the largest export market for Vietnamese catfish, accounting for almost 50 per cent of Viet Nam’s tra and basa export value.
In addition, exports of the fisheries to Russia have picked up. Since May, catfish processors exported 16,000 tonnes of products made from the fishes to Russia, including 7,500 tonnes of fillet.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said Russia’s demand for Vietnamese fish was increasing sharply. It expects exports of tra fillets to rise to 10,000 tonnes a month, in addition to other products made from the fish.
Viet Nam expects to export 70,000 tonnes tra and basa to Russia by the end of this year.
Russia planed to stop imports of seafood from some countries, including Norway and Chile, the ministry said, adding that it was a great chance for Vietnamese exporters to increase sales to the country.
Fisheries experts said Vietnamese tra and basa exports to countries such as Germany, Spain, the US, Egypt, those in Eastern Europe and Africa were also increasing.
In the first half of this year, the export value of catfish reachedUS$473.9 million, slightly down compared to the same period last year. Last year, EU imports alone were valued at $206 million, followed by the US ($45.97 million).
The ministry expects the country will make $1.2 billion in exports of tra and basa this year, against the target of $1.3 billion.
The decline in sales is attributed to the global economic crisis.
vietnamnews
|
