(VASEPNews) Annually, seafood exports often reach the lowest level in February due to low demand in international markets and off season harvest. However, in Feb 2012, seafood exports reported a sudden growth of 65 percent from Feb 2011 and 16 percent from Jan 2012 after strong reduction of 16.5 percent in Jan 2012. This is the highest level compared to Feb of previous years.
Exports of main items in Feb 2012 reached double digit growth in which cephalopod shipment saw the highest growth of 88.7 percent, followed by tuna of 76.7 percent thanks to favourable fishing situation.
It is expected that in Mar and Apr, exports of these items will continue to soar. Shrimp and pangasius shipment will also increase by 75 percent and 45.7 percent.
In 2012, pangasius tends to regain its top position among leading exported seafood items, replacing shrimp after standing at the second position in 2011. In Feb 2012, pangasius exports reached US$148.4 million.
The total pangasius exports in Jan-Feb 2012 reached US$264.4 million, showing 18.6 percent increase on that of the same period of 2011 and representing 33.7 percent of total seafood exports.
Shrimp exports in Feb 2012 hit US$138.6 million. In Jan-Feb 2012, it reached US$257.6 million, up 6.6 percent and representing 32.9 percent of total seafood export. In Jan-Feb 2012, tuna exports ranked the third position with export value of US$74 million and US$67 million of cephalopod exports.
In the first two months this year, Vietnam seafood was delivered to 126 markets. Vietnam seafood export value to EU fell by 7 percent due to affect of regional financial crisis. Seafood exports to the other markets reported positive growth from 10 to 66 percent. Exports to the U.S. and Japan remained firm advance of 11.5 percent and 25.3 percent, respectively over the same period of 2011.
Remarkably, Asian markets such as South Korea, China and ASEAN are strengthening to import Vietnam seafood. Seafood exports to these markets in Feb 2012 were up 40 – 90 percent. South Korean remained the fourth position in Vietnam seafood import value, followed by China in which Hong Kong contributed significantly in to strong growth in export to China (up 126 percent in Feb and 55 percent in Jan-Feb 2012).
Vietnam seafood exports in Feb 2012 surged sharply, pushing total exports of the two first months this year to US$775 million, 12.4 percent higher than that of Feb 2011. Seafood exports in March 2012 are planned to reach positive growth owing to firm import demand, European economic recovery and easing of regional debt crisis. However, Vietnam exporters still confront with lack of raw material in the first three months this year and they will boost importing raw material to process and meet export contracts.