(vasep.com.vn) Pangasius export is one of the key businesses in the Mekong Delta area in Vietnam, especially in An Giang province. The pangasius industry has created more than 500,000 jobs and brought back wealth for over 5,000 fish household in the region. Between January and June 2013, An Giang-based companies exported 87 thousand MT of pangasius, having a worth of US$218 million.
Pangasius products reported an annual export value 10 times higher than that of rice – another key export item of Vietnam. As rice export is facing difficulties, Vietnamese government should develop the export-driven pangasius industry to compensate losses. “The government needs to reorganize fish exporters and aquatic feed outside sources in order to facilitate and help all steps in the production chain to gain profits. It is also necessary to reach unanimity among export companies,” said Do van Nghiep, Director of AFA Seafood Company.
To develop pangasius as a key export item of An Giang, local authorized agencies should reconsider links between export companies and fish farmers, creating the unanimous agreement within export community and between exporters and farmers in order to build up a stable fish supply for processing and subsequently export. In addition, improving the quality of raw and processed pangasius is necessary to raise competitiveness against competing products produced in India and other supplying countries in the coming time. Therefore, the National Agro–Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department (NAFIQAD) would strengthen its role in preventing exports of low quality products by some companies.
It is time to consider pangasius as a specified export product and set conditions for exporters in purpose to enhance their production capacity and responsibility, regaining confidence of international consumers on the real value of Vietnamese pangasius.
Vietnamese pangasius companies needs to intensify promotions of products in both domestic and foreign markets. Over the two recent years, consumption of pangasius strongly increased in main wholesale markets in Ho Chi Minh City and some other provinces. It will be a good opportunity for Vietnamese companies to introduce products in domestic markets.