September 14, 2012
Vietnam's tra fish prices may rise due to inadequate raw materials
Due to a lack of raw materials, Vietnam's tra fish prices will soon increase.
The Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said that processing plants would see shipments of the fish reduce by roughly 30%. The decrease is due to a reduction in aquaculture by farmers following recent financial losses.
The price of tra fish has surged to VND23,500 (US$1.1) per kilogramme, following a month where the cost remained consistent at VND22,000 (US$1.04) per kilogramme.
Hundreds of aquaculture farms operating in Vung Ro have been told that they must close no later than October 2013, the Phu Yen Province People's Committee has said.
The south-central province has asked the local Agriculture and Rural Development Department to release guidelines confirming that aquafarming businesses, including those run by non-Vietnamese, will no longer be allowed in the area. Existing farms will receive no compensation following their closure.
Vung Ro, located in Dong Hoa District, Phu Yen Province, has ambitious plans to construct a deep-water port and develop the petro-chemical industry there.
According to the Viet Nam Port System's plan the Vung Ro complex, which they plan to operate from 2015, will be designed to receive large vessels with a capacity of up to 250,000 DWT (dead-weight tonnage). The port will serve the Vung Ro Oil Refinery Plant.
When the development plans were approved by the Prime Minister in 2005, there were 860 aqua farms in the area, according to the provincial People's Committee.
The committee has admitted that these farms were never cleared due to poor management by local authorities, and many of them have developed since then.
