March 14, 2007

Vietnam's tra catfish price hike ups land costs
 

The continuous soar of tra catfish prices in Vietnam, reaching the record level of VND17,200 per kilogramme have also escalated land areas that can be converted to ponds for aquaculture.

The fish price increases can bring fat profit to farmers as those who breed 400 tonnes of commercial fish can earn the profit of nearly VND 1 bilionl ($62,500) annually.

Farmers who live on the banks of the Tien and Hau rivers are now rushing to buy land plots to make fish ponds.

Cao Huynh Lam from Vinh Phuc, who sells small Tra fish to breeders, said that the price for his fish had increased four-fold, from VND350 per piece to VND1,400. The number of tra farming households has also been sharply increasing. In Thot Not district alone in Can Tho City there are already households cultivating tra.

Lam said that the land price alongside the Tien and Hau rivers in the provinces of Vinh Long, Ben Tre and Dong Thap, which can be turned into fish ponds, has been increasing dramatically. The price of the land on the island area in Long Ho district has increased five-fold compared to the end of 2005. Meanwhile, land plots in Binh Minh district, along the Hau River bank have also seen prices increase twice. In general, according to Lam, land price has increased by four times due to the 'tra fever'.

Several companies have also decided to lease 50 hectares of land in Binh Minh district for tra catfish farming.