Revenue from tra fish export is expected to reach 1.5 billion USD this year, according to the Vietnam Pangasius Association (VPA).

Processing tra fish for export at a factory in Dong Thap province. (Photo: VNA)

In the recent decade, China has imported tra fish mostly from Vietnam and sold them to Russia and Europe.

Vice Chairman of An Giang province’s People’s Committee Tran Anh Thu said An Giang had held fact-finding trips to tra fish breeding countries. Compared to India, China and Bangladesh, Vietnam fared better in terms of both quantity and quality of tra fish.

However, Vietnam’s export of the fish are facing several obstacles, including a loose connection between processing and trading businesses and farmers, while many farmers fail to meet firms’ requirements for food hygiene and safety.

According to the VPA, another problem for the tra fish sector is a decline in the quality of fries, low water levels in rivers in Mekong Delta localities and saltwater intrusion in coastal provinces.

At the same time, trade and technical barriers remain, for example new regulations in the Chinese market, and stipulations in the European Union – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

VPA Vice President Vo Hung Dung said the EVFTA will enable the Vietnamese fisheries sector, including tra fish, to expand export markets and enhance competitiveness.

To develop the sustainability of tra fish sector, the VPA urged firms to improve product quality, comply with tra fish breeding and processing requirements in line with the Government’s Decree No.55/2017/ND-CP.

They were advised to build trademark for Vietnamese tra fish, and develop new selling channels in both domestic and international markets.

To navigate demanding markets such as Europe, the US and the Middle East, An Giang has formed a 600ha intensive farming zone using advanced technologies, and is working on three other zones.

Due to the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam only earned nearly 1.04 billion USD from tra fish export in nine months of this year.

As of late October, over 1.5 billion fries were released in the Mekong Delta. Fry prices also increased in October after falling in the past nine months./.

BTA