June 7, 2017

Vietnam aquaculture output up 3.3% in May

Vietnam's aquaculture output in May increased 3.3% year-on-year to 370,000 tonnes, data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) showed, according to a Vietnam News Agency report.

The total output for the first five months this year was 1.235 million tonnes, up 2.4% year-on-year.

During the five-month period, the total output of tra fish in the Mekong Delta provinces hit 465,900 tonnes, up 11.1% from the same period last year, while the aquaculture area was estimated at 3,092 hectares, falling 6.2%.

The sharpest increase of tra fish output was recorded in Can Tho city, by 50.1%, followed by An Giang, by 11.9%, and Dong Thap, 3.2%.

The price of tra fish slightly dropped in May to around 24,000 to 26,000 Vietnamese dong (US$1.05-$1.14) per kilogramme. The price of tra fish foy also fell, ranging from VND27,000-  VND 50,000 ($1.20-$2.20) per kg.

The total shrimp output in the first five months topped 144,000 tonnes, up 46.2%. Shrimp prices ranged between VND 85,000 and VND340,000 ($3.70-$15) per kg.

The shrimp raising area was estimated at 597,000 hectares, up 6.8% from the same period last year.

In the five months through May, fish catch topped 1.327 million tonnes, up 5.2% year-on-year, of which 1.264 million tonnes were caught at sea, up 5.5%. The total output included 311,000 tonnes caught in May, according to MARD.