(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Mass media reports suggest that pangasius (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) is ‘full of poison’ because it is able to survive in the ‘heavily polluted Mekong River’ and contains pesticides and veterinary treatment chemicals. However, most of these claims are not substantiated with scientific evidence. To assess the safety of pangasius consumption, a full toxicological risk assessment was performed. The results obtained were compared to toxicity claims made in a selection of media reports. Information on contaminant levels encountered in pangasius was collected from the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) database. The toxicological risk assessments do not support any of the toxicological risks suggested in the media.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Jan 2017, pangasius exports reached US$120.05 million, decreased 19.6% compared with that of Jan 2016. Two major markets like the US and the EU accounting for 32% of total pangasius value of Vietnam also reduced importing pangasius in Jan.

It’s happening all over again. Following the hatchet job on Vietnamese pangasius on German television instigated by WWF in March 2011, the Spanish television channel Cuatro recently broadcast what has been described as fake news about the farming of pangasius in the Mekong River.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first half of Jan 2017, Vietnam pangasius exports to the US saw the sharp decline of 22.7%, reaching US$ 9.55 million that was less than the export value to China and the EU. If pangasius exports to the US do not show the improvement, the US will be surpassed by China-Hong Kong as a leading importer of Vietnam pangasius.

Pangasius fish price has been moving up in the Mekong Delta since the Tet holiday. On Tuesday, businesses paid VND23,000-26,000 a kilogram, up VND1,000-3,000 compared to the price before the holiday.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2016, Vietnam’s pangasius exports reached US$1.71 billion, up 9.6% year on year. Exports to the U.S. and China reported the higher growth while sales to the EU continued to decline.

Prices of pangasius for processing have increased in response to high demand from the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has estimated a 10 per cent increase in pangasius export value this year to US$1.7 billion. It has also said that China could overtake the US as the largest buyer of pangasius from Vietnam.

On January 05, 2017, Vinh Hoan forecast its 2016’s consolidated revenue and net profit after tax at VND7,200 billion ($327.3 million) and VND500 billion ($22.73 million), up 11 and 70 per cent year-on-year respectively. In which, total export revenue is expected to reach $274 million, up 5 per cent year-on-year. Considering the Vietnam pangasius industry’s year-on-year growth of 6.6 per cent as estimated by Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, Vinh Hoan has outperformed most of its peers.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After 4 years of implementation, ‘Sustainable Pangasius Supply Chain in Vietnam' (SUPA) project funded by the European Union (EU), chaired by Vietnam Cleaner Production Centre (VNCPC), jointly conducted with WWF-Vietnam, WWF-Austria and VASEP has obtained positive and specific results. Each pangasius company, which participated in deploying the support packages of the project, has saved VND2-5 billion and reduced 28.5% of water consumption, cut down 28% of wastewater into the environment, 18.6% of electricity consumption and reduced 2,000 MT of GHG discharged into the environment per year.

The first pilot pangasius batch that was raised and harvested in a model farm under the EU-funded project - “Establishing a Sustainable Pangasius Supply Chain in Vietnam” (SUPA) – was sold to give financial support to 106 poor families in Tan Phu Ward with the approval of the European Union.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2016, Vietnam’s pangasius exports estimated to touch US$1.66 billion, rising 7% from the previous year and accounting for 24% of total seafood export turnover.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As of Nov 2016, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to ASEAN valued at US$123.3 million, accounting for 8% of total pangasius exports, and increasing by 0.4% year on year. Of that, exports to top 3 largest importers in the region including Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines rose by 0.1 - 3.5% compared to the same period in 2015. In Nov 2016, exports to Singapore climbed up nearly 43% over the same period last year.

PHARMAQ's vaccine ALPHA JECT ® Panga 2 received a marketing authorisation from the Department of Animal Health December 5th 2016.

The U.S. remained Viet Nam’s top seafood market, accounting for over 20% of the Southeast Asian country’s total pangasius export values, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).