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Tra fish prices fall after New Year
The price of tra fish bought at the farm has edged down after the Lunar New Year in Dong Thap and An Giang provinces due to a fall in demand as processors are yet to resume buying.
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| Workers process tra fish for export at Southern Fishery Industries Co Ltd. Tra fish prices fell on lower demand after New Year. |
White meat tra bought directly from farmers by traders now costs VND25,000-25,500 (US$1.20) a kilogramme, down VND500 since last month.
Yellow meat tra has fallen by VND200-500 to VND24,000-24,500 ($1.15).
Le Chi Binh, deputy chairman of the An Giang Fisheries Association, attributed this to a reduction in demand during the week-long holiday.
Tra traders said the price trend would be clearer in a week or 10 days' time when tra processing firms step up their purchases.
Though the processors have resumed operation after the holiday, they are relying on frozen fish bought before Tet (Lunar New Year).
Broodstock shortage
With supply of tra broodstock unable to meet demand, its price has increased sharply.
In Dong Thap, a two-centimeter long fry costs VND1,800-1,900 or even VND2,000 against VND1,650-1,700 before the Lunar New Year.
Farmers in Hong Ngu District's Long Khanh Commune, which is considered the main broodstock farming area, said unfavourable weather in recent months caused fry to die en masse, leading to a severe shortage.
Nguyen Trang Su, deputy chairman of the Hong Ngu People's Committee, concurred, saying the loss rate among fry was up to 80 per cent.
It depended greatly on the weather and environment, and growers could not intervene using medical or technical tools, he pointed out.
The cold weather in recent months had seriously affected the mortality rate of fry, he said.
Though tra broodstock fetched very good prices now, the district did not have enough stock to meet demand, he added.
Farmers in the province are trying to buy the fry in neighbouring provinces.
Many households in Hong Ngu raising broodstock have begun a new crop since the weather has turned warmer.
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