Mekong Delta set to focus on three national seafood products

High-quality tra fish fillets, tiger prawn and organic white-legged shrimp will be three national products which will be developed in the Mekong Delta.

At a press conference held yesterday to introduce Aquaculture Vietnam 2017, Vu Duyen Hai, deputy head of the Science-Technology and International Cooperation Department at the Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries, said tra fish and brackish water shrimp have been added to the list of national products. The two products are developed in the Mekong Delta to convert agriculture based on rice and fruits to seafood.

The Directorate of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development plans to focus on developing high-quality tra fish fillets.

The Science-Technology and International Cooperation Department has been assigned to map out a project to develop brackish water shrimp including tiger shrimp farmed in mangrove forests and organic white-legged shrimp.

However, development projects for these products are facing challenges such as underdeveloped infrastructure, climate change-triggered diseases and international competition.

Hai told the Daily that the brackish water shrimp development project would be passed to agencies at higher level this month. The Government will issue policy to support the project while the Science-Technology and International Cooperation Department will collect information about market demand to build a feasible project.

Hai said tiger shrimps of 70 to 80 grams each have been exported at US$30 a kilo. The authorities should build a mechanism for connecting farmers and bolstering prices.

Besides, trade promotion and branding programs are important in national product development projects.

Aquaculture Vietnam 2017 will take place at the Can Tho International Exhibition Fair Center (EFC) in Can Tho City from October 25 to 27. There will be conferences on breed quality, diseases, science and technology application, processing, markets, services and sustainable development.

The event will be jointly organized by UBM Group, the Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries, the Vietnam Fisheries Society, the International Collaborating Center for Aquaculture and Fisheries Sustainability (ICAFIS), the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in Can Tho City and the Vietnam Pangasius Association.