Pangasius processing plant. (Photo: VASEP)

Pangasius exporters partner to improve public relations in the EU

VIET NAM
Wednesday, June 28, 2017, 02:00 (GMT + 9)

Twenty leading Vietnamese pangasius exporters have decided to set a market development fund to cope with the public relation crisis in the European Union (EU), which has negatively affected Vietnam’s tra fish sales there this year.

The decision was announced at a conference on “Implementation of Decree No. 55/2017/ND-CP and solutions to sustainable development of the tra fish sector” held in Tien Giang Province, presided over by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), who pledged to contribute USD 200,000 to the fund.

VASEP deputy general secretary To Thi Tuong Lan reported that only USD 87,000 has since been transferred by nine enterprises.

Another attendee to the event, Vinh Hoan Corporation chairwoman Truong Thi Le Khanh said the EU’s standards for tra fish imports from Vietnam have been adopted by many EU countries.

For her part, Lan said improving fish quality was key to dealing with the EU problem although media plays a major role.

In this regard, Khanh stated that Vietnamese tra fish industry has found it increasingly tough to sell the fish to the EU since Cuatro television channel from Spain gave wrong information about fish farmed in the Mekong Delta. However, the sector can deal with the PR crisis through a more popular television channel which can tell the truth about fish farming in Vietnam.

In addition, Khanh proposed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to support the fund-raising effort.

Vu Van Tam, deputy minister of agriculture and rural development, told the Daily that the ministry had coordinated with VASEP to implement the fund-raising endeavor. VASEP has worked with ministries including the Ministry of Finance to help raise the fund.

A report by VASEP shows that in the first four months of 2017, Vietnamese tra fish exports amounted to USD 518.6 million, representing a 2.2 per cent increase from the same period last year and accounting for 23.9 per cent of total seafood exports.

China was Vietnam’s largest pangasius importer, accounting for 19.9 per cent, followed by the United States with 17.4 per cent and ASEAN countries with 8 per cent of total exports.

 
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