Vietnam catfish output expansion plan gets government nod
A plan to develop tra catfish production and consumption in the Mekong Delta region over the next 10 years has been approved by the country's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
This includes targets adjusting zoning areas and developing infrastructure for breeding, and setting up information systems for calculating and forecasting production and consumption.
The plan will cost about VND1.34 trillion (US$74 million). Of the figure, VND800 billion (US$43.3 million) will be invested for the 2009-15 period, and the remaining for 2016-20.
Tra catfish output in the Mekong Delta, the country's largest catfish production area, is targeted to reach 1.5 million tonnes in 2010, and the region is expected to export 600,000 tonnes of tra catfish products estimated at US$1.5 billion.
Tra catfish exports are targeted to fetch US$2.2 billion by 2015 and US$3 billion by 2020.
Breeding areas will be located mainly along the Tien and Hau rivers in Can Tho City and Vinh Long, An Giang, Tien Giang and Dong Thap provinces, with a total maximum breeding area of 11,000 hectares in 2015 and 13,000 hectares in 2020.
To avoid small-scale production in scattered areas, the plan regulates that new tra breeding units will have a minimum area of at least 10 hectares and be located in zoning areas for the fish breeding.
Under the proposal, tra catfish processors must set up their material areas for production and are responsible to sign consumption contracts with breeders to guarantee stable tra catfish output. The replacement of current tra catfish strains with disease-free and high quality ones will be done by 2015.
Feed producers and veterinary medicine producers for tra catfish breeding must state clearly the quality of their products on package labels and are legally responsible for product quality.
Government agencies will implement a quarantine, inspect the quality of tra catfish products and grant certificates to tra products for export and local consumption.
