Hundreds of tonnes of aquaculture products unsold due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Hundreds of tonnes of aquaculture products grown in the central province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau are ready for harvest but still unsold due to the complicated development of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Caged fish farms on Cha Va River in Long Son Commune, Vung Tau City are quiet these days due to few wholesalers reache to buy fish. Photo: MS.

For the last few weeks, Nguyen Thanh Tha – an aquaculture farmer in Cha Va River in Long Son Commune, Vung Tau City were so worried because no one arrived at his farm to buy aquaculture products that are now ready for harvest.

“Restaurants and food stalls are closed. I cannot sell the fish,” Tha said, adding that he would get losses as the fish required more and more feed.

He said that he had to spend nearly VND 2 million daily to buy feed for about 1.5 tonnes of fish he was growing in cages. Moreover, he had 5,000 oysters that would die if not being harvested on time.

Another farmer Mai Anh Tuan said that caged fish farming faced many risks. Without proper farming technique, water pollution and disease could kill all the fish, he said.

Mai Anh Tuan's caged fish farm on Cha Va River. 

Nguyen Van Det of the same commune said he is growing about 4,000 fish in cages and about 40,000 breeding oysters for more than ten months.

“It’s harvesting time now. However, I can not sell the fish and oysters. I spent VND 2-3 million on feed daily,” he said.

“I will suffer losses if the problem is pending for a long time,” he said.

According to Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, more than 200 tonnes of fish and nearly 1,500 tonnes of oysters are ready for harvest. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that caused the closure of restaurants and food stalls during social distancing and closed border, local aquaculture growers face difficulties in aquaculture consumption.

Moreover, aquaculture products’ prices are dropping much.

A kg of plaice/grouper is VND 110,000 – 200,000 but it used to be VND 130,000 – 250,000 before the pandemic. A kg of oyster is now VND 13,000-15,000, about VND 7,000-10,000 cheaper than the previous time.

Vice president of the province’s Farmers’ Association Tran Van Mang said that the association was calling on individuals and organisations for helping farmers overcome this difficult time.

Aquaculture products in Ba Ria -Vung Tau Province are now much cheaper than previously but farmers could not find consumers. 

Tran Van Cuong, director of the province’s agriculture department said that across the province, 574 households were doing caged fish farming with yearly fish production of 2,000 – 3,000 tonnes and oyster production of 15,000 tonnes. Nearly half of the caged fish farms are on Cha Va River.

Cuong said that besides the large volume of unsold products, local farmers faced the threat of unfavourable conditions during the stormy season. Changes in weather and temperature could lead to a widespread of diseases and the growth of aquaculture products.

Therefore, farmers need to actively implement solutions to reduce risks and increase the efficiency of aquaculture, he said.