August 28, 2007

Vietnam's Mekong Delta region to intensify its seafood industry

The region of Mekong Delta of Vietnam will strengthen its seafood processing and export industry, local newspaper Vietnam News reported Monday (August 27).

Provinces in the region have devoted nearly VND6.5 trillion (some US$406 million) for the development project to materialise. The plan aims to build an additional 32 seafood processing plants between now and 2010, which will bring the total number of seafood processing plants in the region to 68, with a total annual capacity of 534,000 tonnes. The figure is expected to increase to 130 tonnes by 2020 to reach production by 1 million tonnes.

The project also includes increasing the volume of catfish products exported to Asia, the European Union, and North America by 230, 000 tonnes in 2010 worth US$600 million. The figure is expected to double by 2020.

In meeting the goal, local processors plan to increase the acreage of catfish farming to 10,200 hectares to produce 860, 000 tonnes by 2010, and 16,600 hectares and 1.9 million tonnes by 2020.

The region will also establish more than 2,100 small fry nursing centres, which are expected to yield 2.7 billion fry by 2010. The figures are expected to increase by 3000 to reach 6.7 billion fries in 2020.