Pangasius exports recover strongly

By the end of April 2021, the total export value of pangasius reached US$489.4 million, up 8.9% over the same period in 2020. Besides the US and China, Brazil and Thailand are two emerging markets. recently with higher-than-expected growth.

In April alone, the export value of pangasius to Brazil increased by 687%, to Thailand by 47% over the same period last year. Accumulated in the first 4 months of 2021, the total value of pangasius exports to Brazil reached 22.3 million USD, Thailand reached 21.2 million USD, up 38.7% and 8.5% respectively over the same period last year. before.

Mr. Truong Dinh Hoe, General Secretary of VASEP, said that pangasius exports recovered because the main markets of the US, China and Europe increased their purchases. "The biggest increase was in exports to the US market thanks to the widely deployed Covid-19 vaccine, so importers increased their purchases to serve the reopening of food services. This is the main channel for fish consumption. In the first four months of this year, the total value of pangasius exports to this market reached US$102 million, up 36.7% over the same period last year," said Mr. Hoe.

Mr. Truong Tien Dung, General Director of Saigon Aquatic product Trading Joint Stock Company (APT), said that his company's export of pangasius and processed products in the first 4 months of the year increased by 10% compared to the same period last year. term 2020.

"This result is achieved thanks to the company actively discussing with customers to produce products suitable for the market instead of focusing on selling products with strong enterprises. Thanks to that, APT has had Orders of value-added products such as: dried fish, fish cakes, cakes with pangasius fillings... have brought better profits than exporting raw materials.These are products that are eaten immediately or put in the oven. Microwave before eating. Not only ordered in the Asian market, dried pangasius - basa - APT's new product is also ordered by European (Netherlands) customers," - Mr. Dung revealed.

Mr. Phan Hoang Duy, Deputy General Director of Can Tho Seafood Import-Export Company (CASEAMEX), also said that since the beginning of the year, the output of pangasius that his company exports to the US market has increased by 1.5 times. compared to the last months of 2020. Export prices also increased significantly because now the price of pangasius raw materials and transportation costs are both high.

According to Ong Hang Van, Deputy General Director of Truong Giang Seafood Joint Stock Company (Sa Dec City, Dong Thap province), in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic, many seafood enterprises have changed their trading methods with partners. Instead of selling at the CIF price for delivery to the port of import, the enterprise switched to signing a contract to sell the goods at the FOB price and deliver the goods at the port of Vietnam. 

Mr. Truong Dinh Hoe forecasts that pangasius exports will still grow well in the near future thanks to the control of the epidemic by importing countries. The current problem is that raw materials for processing plants are at risk of shortage because the farming cycle lasts from 7-8 months and production cannot increase rapidly. However, the pangasius industry has more than 60% of raw materials actively raised by enterprises, so they have their contingency plan when the market recovers.