Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, Feb. 5 (VNA) -- Despite the on-going row between Viet Nam and the U.S. over catfish dumping, local farmers are pushing ahead on an investment plan to double the amount of catfish produced in the next five years in the provinces along the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.

The provinces have recently introduced a two-year master plan to boost tra and basa (the most popular varieties of Vietnamese catfish) production and consumption in the region, in order to meet the fishery sector's target of 3 billion USD in export turnover for 2005.

According to the plan, tra and basa cultivation in the next few years will largely take place in Dong Thap, An Giang, Can Tho, Vinh Long, Tien Giang and Long An. All six provinces will cover a total area of 2,012 ha by 2005, and 3,75 ha by 2010.

Farmers also want to increase the number of seafood-processing establishments from the current 18 to 35 by 2005, and to 43 by 2010, to ensure that tra and basa production will double in the next five years.

Experts, however, have noted that catfish development in the provinces would need to overcome the obstacles related to breeding, farming techniques, food safety and hygiene, product quality and pricing.

But with higher production plans in the pipeline, experts said the biggest challenge facing tra and basa producers is finding new niches in the overseas markets to export the catfish.

General Secretary of Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, Nguyen Huu Dung, said the delta provinces will need a marketing strategy to target niche markets and products.

The success of the plan will also depend on closer co-operation between producers and export processors, Dung added.

Deputy Minister of Fisheries Nguyen Thi Hong Minh also emphasised the need to keep a balance in production and consumption, and to set up associations and clubs for tra and basa breeders and processors to help resolve problems that could arise in their business dealings.

Other than raising tra and basa, Minh advised the provinces to breed other species to minimise risks of supply shocks should consumer tastes change.

The cultivation of tra and basa has developed quickly in the Mekong, with the total area used for the farms more than doubling in the past five years, from 1,290ha in 1997 to 2,630ha in 2001. Vietnamese tra and basa are exported to 27 countries, the U.S. leading the charge.

But, last year the U.S. decision to obstruct catfish imports from abroad, including Viet Nam, has considerably reduced the amount of Vietnamese tra and basa on the market, affecting the livelihood of tens of thousands of fish breeders and exporters.

What happened in 2002 could not deter the country's seafood sector from doing well in the export market in the past 10 years, fishery Deputy Minister Minh said.

Viet Nam's catfish export was 2 billion USD last year, reflecting an almost a 13 percent year-on-year increase.
"The figure marks a milestone in the history of the country's fishery sector," the deputy minister said.