Ca Mau (VNA)🍰 – The southernmost province of Ca Mau on December 10 kicked off its first-ever shrimp festival, which is hoped to help affirm Ca Mau shrimp brand and promote the local shrimp in particular and Vietnamese shrimp in general.

Ca Mau province earns about 1 billion USD from shrimp exports annually for the recent three years, accounting for 28% of the country’s total. Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai said Vietnam's agricultural, forestry and fishery export turnover is expected to reach more than 53 billion USD, of which shrimp exports are estimated to contribute about 3.6 billion USD, making Vietnam the second largest shrimp supplier in the world.

Ca Mau shrimp industry has affirmed its position in the world market, he said, adding that besides super-intensive shrimp farming, the locality is also home to other types of sustainable farming such as combining shrimp farming and forest or rice cultivation which meet ecological and organic standards.

🍌 To develop agriculture effectively and increase added values, the Deputy Prime Minister noted that the agricultural sector in general and Ca Mau in particular need to focus on developing an agricultural ecosystem, including the shrimp industry ecosystem; building a green economy and circular economy in agriculture, contributing to environmental protection and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

It’s also necessary to encourage startups, innovation and promote digital transformation in agriculture, and diversify export markets, he said. "This is an appropriate strategic orientation to promote the potential, strengths, and distinct competitive advantages of Ca Mau province and the Mekong Delta region," Khai emphasised. Chairman of Ca Mau provincial People's Committee Huynh Quoc Viet said that the Ca Mau Shrimp Festival, along with a forum to promote One Commune-One Product (OCOP) products in the Mekong Delta held on the occasion, aims to honour shrimp farmers and those who have joined in providing high-quality shrimp products to domestic and international consumers. The events also bring an opportunity for Ca Mau to introduce and promote its key products. On this occasion, Ca Mau province wishes to attract more investors to make its local products and those from other Mekong Delta provinces go further, and join in global value chains, Viet said. Ca Mau is now home to 280,000 hectares of shrimp breeding, accounting for 40% of the country’s shrimp farming area. The shrimp output reaches more than 220,000 tonnes per year, equivalent to 22% of the country’s total. The shrimp industry provides livelihoods for more than 600,000 people, or half the province’s population./.