Farmers and seafood processors urgently need easy access to soft loans to tide over the difficulties facing them now, officials of the South West Steering Committee were told last Friday.

(vasep.com.vn) In 2012, land used in pangasius aquaculture totaled 1,679.03 hectares in Dong Thap province, said Dong Thap Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. To 5thNovember 2012, pangasius producers in the province have produced 331,791 MT of fish on an area of 902.04 hectares. Production of fingerlings reached 580.57 million of pieces. The province has currently 776.99 hectares in production and other 70.9 hectares taken out of operation.

High-value open-ocean, or pelagic, species like mackerel, scad, pomfret and tuna, have appeared in large numbers this year.

(vasep.com.vn) In October 24th 2012, in Can Tho city, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in coordination with Vietnam Economic Times held a conference on solutions for sustainable development of seafood production and export.

(vasep.com.vn) European buyers have been more interested in buying Vietnam pangasius products for domestic consumption as the region is under pressures of financial stress due to public debts, which made local consumers turn to seafood products with good quality and reasonable price.

The Cuu Long (Mekong) River Delta will need around USD 2.88 billion to sustainably grow the local fisheries sector, according to officials who spoke at a conference held in Can Tho City last week.

(vasep.com.vn) Between January and August 2012, An Giang, a Mekong Delta province, reached pangasius seed breeding area of 373 hectares, equal to 89 percent of that reported in the same time last year. The seed output reached only 383 million seeds, equal to 87 percent.

While tough global conditions mean many sections of the economy are currently swimming upstream, Tra fish farmers have been given the chance to make a splash after the Government agreed to offer them preferential loan interest rates.

(VNS) Viet Nam's largest shrimp producing province of Ca Mau has set a target to produce 270,000 tonnes of shrimp in 2012.

(vasep.com.vn) In September 9th 2012, the discussion meeting on daft of pilot project of fishing, preserving, purchasing and processing chain held. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vu Van Tam attended the meeting.

(vasep.com.vn) According to Decision 315 by Prime Minister on purchasing shrimp farming insurance to help farmers reduce losses caused by diseases and save capital to restock, poor farmers will be supported 100 percent of insurance premiums, farmers living just above the poverty will be supported 80 percent, and 40 percent is supported for others.

(vasep.com.vn) In the first three quarters of 2012, Dong Thap-based companies exported 130,111 MT of pangasius products and earned US$361.6 million, up 164.4 percent in volume and 10.6 percent in value from January to September 2011, fulfilling 83.94 percent of the target for 2012.

(vasep.com.vn) In the first three quarters of 2012, Can Tho province produced 117,287 MT of fish in the area of 12,427 hectares, down 14% in fish output and down 4% in farming surface from January – September 2011, reported Can Tho’s Sub-Department of Fisheries.

(IntraFish) Netherlands-based seafood supplier Culimer plans to join the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as a stakeholder in a fishery improvement project (FIP) to help erase deficiencies in Vietnamese tuna fisheries.