Pangasius harvest at a Vietnam farming pool.

Slow sale and high production lead to pangasius price fall

VIET NAM
Friday, March 15, 2019, 00:40 (GMT + 9)

Pangasius or tra fish price has unexpectedly dropped, a situation which raises concern among pangasius fish farmers.

According to Nguyen Thanh Binh, director of Chau Thanh Seafood Production and Service Cooperative in Dong Thap Province, the prices of pangasius fish fell about VND 5,000-5,500 (USD 0.21-0,24) per kilogram compared to the beginning of this year, to VND 23,500-VND 24,000 (USD 1.01-USD 1.03)/kg, SGGP News reported.

In his view, with the current prices, fish farmers almost have no profit but are only able to break even.

“As the prices of pangasius fish have continuously declined, fish farming households have been concerning and facing dilemma about whether to continue to invest in pangasius fish farming,” Thanh Binh added.

Farmers feedind pangasius. (Photo: SGGP)

Seafood exporters in provinces in the Mekong Delta said that after a great success in pangasius fish export in 2018 with export turnover of USD 2.26 billion, the prices of raw pangasius fish have gradually decreased since the beginning of this year because export has been sluggish and pangasius production remains high so firms are not ready to buy more.

Amid the situation, experts said that fish farmers should be cautious in expanding farming area and avoid massive farming which possibly leads to an excessive supply causing prices to decline further.

Different presentations of pangasius filet in international supermarkets

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that pangasius fish production will be maintained at around 1.51 million tons this year, up 6 per cent compared to the previous year, and export turnover aims to reach USD 2.4 billion, up 12 per cent.

The ministry ordered farmers and firms to apply new technology into pangasius farming and processing, improve the quality of fingerlings and mature pangasius fish, restructure production and traceability and encourage firms to invest heavily in fish farming for sustainable development. At the same time, they should closely watch the weather changes, prevent diseases and strengthen value chains.
 
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