December 22, 2006

 

Vietnam's seafood industry striving to improve exports

 

 

The creation of a national brand was a priority if improvement and development are to made to the Vietnamese seafood industry, Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Fisheries Nguyen Thi Hong Minh said.

 

Speaking at a seminar to discuss measures to develop seafood exports, Minh said the ministry would continue to focus on the US, Japan, the EU, China, Hong Kong and South Korea, Vietnam's major export markets

 

The industry needs to produce more high-quality products and meet international sanitary standards in breeding and processing, Minh said.

 

Vietnam should accelerate fisheries zoning efforts if it wants to reduce production costs and improve seafood product quality.

 

The country hopes to export over 900,000 tonnes of seafood annually, mainly shrimp and catfish, until 2010.

 

Helping farmers access information and training technicians with the latest technologies and international standards in seafood processing are among the most important tasks now, Minh said.

 

Vietnam's seafood exports exceeded US$3 billion this year and its aquatic produce is gaining larger export market shares due to quality improvements, Minister of Fisheries Ta Quang Ngoc said.

 

But with overseas consumers insisting on safe seafood, processors should make an effort to control the antibiotics and other chemical residues in their products, he warned.

 

At the seminar, Akio Kamimura, president of Japan's Seafood Trading Association reminded Vietnam that cleanliness and safety are the foremost requirements of Japanese customers.

 

He also pointed out shortcomings in Vietnam's fisheries industry, noting that many processing plants and cold storages are small and hygiene checks are less stringent.