Can Tho: Pangasius farming area applied good practice standards tends to increase

Can Tho is one of the localities with advantages and potential in production, processing and consumption of pangasius. In the past years, there have been many challenges for Vietnamese seafood exports such as technical barriers, trade protection and quality control regulations of import markets; raw materials for processing; the competitiveness of the product, especially anti-dumping lawsuits, the U.S Farm Bill 2014, which had a considerable impact on the production and consumption of pangasius.

However, before the above difficulties, the pangasius enterprises have found solutions to solve the market and shifting export markets. In addition, businesses have applied good practice standards to enhance value added products, so the production and consumption of pangasius of  Tho city in 2017 had achieved positive results.

In 2017, the total farming area of Can Tho province was 733 ha, surpassing 05% in comparison with the same period in 2016. The harvested yield was over 174 thousand MT, exceeding 6.4% over the same period in 2016 and the yield hit nearly 289 MT/ha. The pangasius export turnover of Can Tho in 2017 reached US$557.4 million, up 1.35% over the same period in 2016 (US$550 million).

In the past few years, in order to improve the value added and meet the requirements of export markets, farmers and businesses in pangasius production and processing in the area have increased the practice of farming according to standards such as VietGAP, GlobalGAP, ASC, BAP, ... The remaining facilities are striving to apply standard measures to ensure food safety products. In addition, the province has developed the project "Helping pangasius farms in Can Tho to apply Good Aquaculture Practices (VietGAP)".

By the end of 2017, pangasius farming area that was certified under the standards hit 234.94 ha, accounting for 40.9% of total pangasius farming area (574 ha); of which, there was 224.94 ha with VietGAP certification and 10 ha with BAP + ASC certification. Pangasius farming area is forecasted to rise as the province has implemented the plan "Helping pangasius farms in Can Tho to apply Good Aquaculture Practices (VietGAP)".

In 2018, the commercial pangasius farming area in Can Tho city is projected to reach 750 hectares with the output of over 163 thousand MT.

In the coming time, Can Tho’s Sub-Department of Fisheries will effectively implement the Can Tho Agricultural Restructuring Project in the direction of increasing value added and sustainable development by 2020 with the orientation to 2030. The agency develops planning of aquaculture areas in 04 districts (Thot Not, Vinh Thanh, O Mon, Co Do). It implements the review of fishery planning and construction of safe pangasius farming areas to develop sustainable pangasius farming. The agency also encourages businesses, cooperatives and farming households in Can Tho to apply the standards such as VietGAP, GlobalGAP, ASC, BAP, ... to improve the quality of products. It reorganizes aquaculture households in the form of linkages such as cooperative groups, co-operatives ... Besides, it promotes the role of associations in organizing the linkages between the stages of production and consumption; facilitates pangasius households to promote food safety products to consumers. Moreover, the agency builds the chain of production and processing materials – consumption; expands and encourages "Outsourcing", “linkage” and “farming from contracts"; as well as develop chain linkages to protect stakeholder interests.