Tra fish prices drop sharply (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Tra (pangasius) fish priceshave dropped to their lowest levels in 11 years since exports have beenhit by COVID-19, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters andProducers (VASEP).
In July last year, tra fish hadhit the lowest levels in 10 years, with the wholesale price in the MekongDelta falling by VNĐ2,000 per kilogramme from a month earlier to 22,000-23,000VND (0.95-1 USD) for type one fish (weighing 800-900g), said the Ministryof Agriculture and Rural Development’s agricultural market development andprocessing department.
The situation this year is even worse, with the wholesale price of tra now only around 20,000 VND, andfarmers having to run around to finding buyers.
Many pangasius farming households and export firms have suffered as a result ofthe falling prices and stagnant export markets.
This year, exports of the country’s two main seafood products, tra fish and shrimp, have been downsharply.
Tra exports have been particularly impacted by the COVID-19pandemic.
In the first half of the year, they were down 31 percent to 612.3 million USD,according to VASEP.
Shipments to all 10 leading markets decreased, including by 15.5 percentyear-on-year to China, 24.4 percent to the US and 36.6 percent to the EU.
Declining new orders, high inventories and low export prices have causedprofits of businesses and fish-farming households to plummet, with many evensuffering losses, VASEP said.
Tran Van Ngoan, a tra fishfarmer in Hau Giang province’s Phung Hiep district, said he has had to take hisfish to the roadside to sell.
He can only sell around a hundred kilogrammes a day while his output is 50tonnes this season.
Phan Thanh Phong, a tra farmerin Hau Giang province’s Phung Hiep district, said his family has 40 tonnes forexport.
Normally the fish is harvested to sell to export processing plants when itreaches a weight of 0.8-1kg, but his fish is now more than six months old andweighs 1.4kg but there are no buyers, he said.
He had to run around to find a company that agreed to buy the fish for 19,000 VNDper kilogramme, making him lose 3,000-4,000 VND per kilogramme.
Besides households, fish companies also suffered losses due to falling exportprices and lack of orders.
According to VASEP, the COVID-19 pandemic has strongly affected the globalseafood industry, leading to a reduction in demand and causing orders to shrinkby 35-50 percent.
The Dong Thap province-based Vinh Hoan Company said that second-quarter profithalved to 215 billion VND (9.2 million USD) year-on-year.
Vietnam Corporation saw second-quarter profit decrease by 79 percentyear-on-year to 32 billion VND./.
In July last year, tra fish hadhit the lowest levels in 10 years, with the wholesale price in the MekongDelta falling by VNĐ2,000 per kilogramme from a month earlier to 22,000-23,000VND (0.95-1 USD) for type one fish (weighing 800-900g), said the Ministryof Agriculture and Rural Development’s agricultural market development andprocessing department.
The situation this year is even worse, with the wholesale price of tra now only around 20,000 VND, andfarmers having to run around to finding buyers.
Many pangasius farming households and export firms have suffered as a result ofthe falling prices and stagnant export markets.
This year, exports of the country’s two main seafood products, tra fish and shrimp, have been downsharply.
Tra exports have been particularly impacted by the COVID-19pandemic.
In the first half of the year, they were down 31 percent to 612.3 million USD,according to VASEP.
Shipments to all 10 leading markets decreased, including by 15.5 percentyear-on-year to China, 24.4 percent to the US and 36.6 percent to the EU.
Declining new orders, high inventories and low export prices have causedprofits of businesses and fish-farming households to plummet, with many evensuffering losses, VASEP said.
Tran Van Ngoan, a tra fishfarmer in Hau Giang province’s Phung Hiep district, said he has had to take hisfish to the roadside to sell.
He can only sell around a hundred kilogrammes a day while his output is 50tonnes this season.
Phan Thanh Phong, a tra farmerin Hau Giang province’s Phung Hiep district, said his family has 40 tonnes forexport.
Normally the fish is harvested to sell to export processing plants when itreaches a weight of 0.8-1kg, but his fish is now more than six months old andweighs 1.4kg but there are no buyers, he said.
He had to run around to find a company that agreed to buy the fish for 19,000 VNDper kilogramme, making him lose 3,000-4,000 VND per kilogramme.
Besides households, fish companies also suffered losses due to falling exportprices and lack of orders.
According to VASEP, the COVID-19 pandemic has strongly affected the globalseafood industry, leading to a reduction in demand and causing orders to shrinkby 35-50 percent.
The Dong Thap province-based Vinh Hoan Company said that second-quarter profithalved to 215 billion VND (9.2 million USD) year-on-year.
Vietnam Corporation saw second-quarter profit decrease by 79 percentyear-on-year to 32 billion VND./.
VNA
