February 26, 2009
Vietnam's Ben Tre Q1 sales may fall 20 percent
Vietnamese seafood producer Ben Tre Forestry & Aquaproduct Import Export Joint Stock Co. said sales could drop 20 percent in the first quarter as the global economic crisis cuts demand for Vietnamese seafood.
Deputy General Director Dinh Hoang Vinh confirmed that there has been a slump in demand tra (catfish) from the European Union and shrimp from Japan -their two biggest markets.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors, there have been very few orders for international seafood deliveries this month due to the global economic recession which has badly hurt customers like Japan and the EU.
The company's sales totalled VND151 billion (US$8.6 million) in the first quarter of last year.
