January 4, 2013

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) expects the overall export turnover of pangasius or tra fish in 2012 to be US$1.8 billion.

"This figure reflects the efforts of farmers and enterprises to surmount difficulties," said Nguyen Huy Dien, deputy director general of the General Directorate of Fisheries.

In the first 11 months of 2012, Vietnamese catfish exports took a 2.4%-dive on-year to US$1.6 billion.

This prediction stands despite the global economic crisis and the consequent drop in exports to five of the eight major tra fish markets such as the EU, Mexico, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries -- both of which have left Vietnamese pangasius producers struggling to stay afloat. Exports to the US, Colombia and China-Hong Kong have shown unstable growth.

Pangasius exports to the US rose bit by bit until August, after which they decreased by 7.5% in September and 20% in October and November. Exports to the EU in November continued to fall for the eighth consecutive month, earning US$29.8 million, down 11.8% on-year.

Raw pangasius prices started vacillating in early 2012, mainly falling, and diving farmers gave up the business or switch to other species. Meanwhile, processors and exporters must handle tra shortages and financial burdens, problems which have caused the closing of some processing factories.

The Trade Office of the Vietnamese Embassy in Sweden has announced that Sweden, Denmark and Finland have classified Vietnamese tra as a green product, entering it into the green list of the Handbook for Seafood Consumption. The handbook lists seafood items considered healthful and which are recommended by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Also, 10% of tra products received Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certificates, allowing the product to meet the requirements of markets like the EU and the US.