December 6, 2005

Vietnam's seafood exports to hit US$4 billion by 2010

Vietnam's fisheries sector plans to earn US$4 billion from seafood exports by 2010, announced the country's Deputy Fisheries Minister Nguyen Thi Hong Minh at a Dec 5 seminar in Hanoi on seafood export development.

The plan to build up seafood exports include the building a system for overseas seafood distribution, regulating seafood supplies at major markets, improving aquaculture production for healthy and high quality breeds, and ensuring food hygienic safety at processing plants.

This plan, said Minh, is in line with the sector's aim to ensure both food safety while effectively and sustainably developing the sector's production and trade.

Vietnam's seafood now reaches 105 countries and territories, with 171 enterprises in the country licensed to export to the EU, 295 to South Korea, and 300 to the US.

The Fisheries Ministry also reported that as of Dec 5, the country has already earned US$2.5 billion from seafood exports, fulfilling the yearly target 25 days ahead of schedule.