(pangasius-vietnam.com) To ease hardship for pangasius farmers and processors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is expected to petition the Prime Minister for approval of two stimulus packages of VND4,400 billion for pangasius production and trade.
The first rescue package of VND2,000 billion is used to support for processors in purchasing raw pangasius. The payment for fish farmers is paid by banks under provincial People’s Committees’ supervision. It is expected that 150,000 MT will be sold during the rest time of this year.
The second package of VND2,400 billion is used to support for packers that have their owned fish farms. The packers expected to access to four or six - month loans at preferential interest rates in the current situation of limited credit. Raw pangasius reared by these enterprises is expected to reach 400,000 MT from now to the end of this year.
VND4,400 billion bailout for pangasius farmers and processors is only a short-term measure. Besides the above solution, the foundation of Vietnam pangasius Association is considered as a long-term measure to develop pangasius sustainably. Pangasius industry need to be restructured to improve fish value and export price, ensuring product quality under international market requirements and promoting Vietnam pangasius’s prestige, Mr. Nguyen Huy Dien – Deputy Director General of Directorate of Fisheries (D-Fish) said.
In order to develop pangasius sustainably, exporters need to restructure domestic production based on close management of inputs such as seed, feed… to meet importers’ demand, create a link in production chain in which participants enjoy mutual benefit and share risks, he continued.
According to D-Fish, input costs such as feed price rose by VND500 – 1,000 per kilogram; animal drug rose by 10 – 15 percent; seed and fuel price were also higher. Therefore, farmers still faced hardship despite increasing pangasius price.