Ben Tre is effectively exploiting fishery economy

This is one of the actions to concretize the development goal of Ben Tre province to the East.

With a coastline of 65 km, Ben Tre has many potentials and advantages to strongly develop aquaculturing, fishing and seafood processing.

Improve productivity and quality

Mr. Doan Van Danh, Director of Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ben Tre, said that in recent years, the growth rate of the fishery sector of Ben Tre province has always been at a high level. Up to now, the province's aquaculture area has grown quite strongly, with a total water surface area of about 45,000 hectares with a total production of about 295,020 tons.

Ben Tre is promoting the development of key seafood products of the province, including: black tiger shrimp, whiteleg shrimp and pangasius, ... and at the same time, implementing an appropriate production organization model, applying advanced farming technology to improve productivity, output and quality, ensure adaptation to climate change and protect the ecological environment.

In parallel with farming activities, the fishing industry in Ben Tre is also growing in both quantity and quality. Up to now, this whole province has 3,975 registered fishing vessels, of which offshore fishing vessels account for more than 55% with an annual catch of over 210,000 tons. This has made a significant contribution to the province's socio-economic development, especially in the three coastal districts; at the same time make an important contribution to the defense of national security.

Fishery logistics facilities of the province basically meet the development needs of the fishing industry with three fishing ports, two storm shelters for fishing vessels, 32 wooden-hulled shipyards and a mechanical workshop with a capacity building 160 new ships per year. The province also continues to complete investment in fishing ports and transform the management model of fishing ports to improve investment efficiency and the quality of fisheries logistics services.

Ben Tre is calling for investment in seafood processing, especially shrimp processing. The province has 13 seafood processing factories serving export with a designed capacity of 150,000 tons, but mainly produces and processes products from pangasius, clams,... The main export markets are Japan, USA, EU, Central and South American countries, Asia,…

Developing high-technology farming areas

Plan No. 3004 dated June 1, 2021 of the People's Committee of Ben Tre province is a lever to create a new breakthrough in the development of high-tech shrimp farming. According to this plan, by 2025, the province will have 4,000 hectares of brackish water shrimp farming applying high technology. By 2025, the output of high-tech marine shrimp farming will reach 144,000 tons, the average growth rate will reach 41.4%, and the shrimp industry's production value will reach 1 billion USD.

According to the development orientation for fishing, seafood processing activities, in the upcoming time, Ben Tre will continue to invest in improving infrastructure to serve the development of high-tech shrimp farming areas in 3 coastal districts. On the other hand, the province has increased the application of advanced science and technology in farming and fishing in order to create key products with high quality and economic value, meeting the needs of domestic and export markets.

Specifically, the province has been implementing several solutions such as reorganizing production, improving the quality of marine shrimp breeds, researching and applying science and technology, environmental management, and developing shrimp processing activities. By 2025, high-tech marine shrimp products will be produced in the form of cooperation and the association rate will reach over 60%. High-tech marine shrimp products produced according to GAP and ASC standards will account for over 70%...

According to Mr. Doan Van Danh, up to now, shrimp farming applying high technology has developed well, with high output and stable prices. The total area of shrimp farming applying high technology in the province is about 2,200 ha, with an average yield of 70 tons/ha. This has created a large amount of export seafood products with high economic value and stable jobs for about 10,000 workers.

On the basis of planning, the province advocates investment and development of the key seafood sector according to system thinking and value chain. In which, enterprises play a leading role and are the driving force of the entire value chain. Currently, Ben Tre is implementing synchronous solutions from mechanisms and policies to infrastructure investment, science and technology development; promoting investment calling, especially investment in high-tech shrimp farming and investment in shrimp processing plants... to improve productivity, output and sustainable development.

Compiled by Tra My