(vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau province reported a fishery production of 80,000 MT so far, up 12 percent against the same time of 2013, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Aquaculture output was 50,000 MT (+8 percent) and wild catch was 30,000 MT. Seafood exports reached nearly US$200 million.
Ca Mau totaled over 3,000 distant fishing boats with huge output for each. Aquaculture is facilitated with strong rise in raw shrimp price. Shrimp of 20 pieces per kilogram was sold at VND320,000 per kilogram, up VND40,000 compared to that of a year ago. Shrimp of 30 pieces per kilogram was VND280,000 per kilogram, up VND30,000.
It is now the unseasonable weather for shrimp farming but local farmers have stocked shrimp on 40,000 hectares under innovated extensive farming model and whiteleg shrimp on 4,000 hectares under industrial farming models. If the trend continues, Ca Mau will reach its target of 460,000 MT of shrimp production this year.
However, Ca Mau fishery industry has to face unstable demand from some importing markets and short supply of raw material for processing. The province plans to reach 10,000 hectares for industrial shrimp production by 2015, but the figure has been just about 7,000 hectares so far.
Currently, Ca Mau is encouraging the sustainability of industrial shrimp farming activities as well as expanding innovated extensive shrimp production. It strives to reach US$1.1 billion of exports in 2014.