Aquaculture for all

Vietnam catfish prices reach record high

VIET NAM - Some businesses said the low output of tra and basa catfish on farms this year had forced their prices up.

Catfish prices have continued to rise in the Mekong Delta after the Vietnamese New Year last Saturday, reaching a record level of nearly VND17,000 (US$1.06) per kilogram.

The higher prices have encouraged more farmers in the delta to invest in expanding their fish farms, also forcing up breeding stock prices considerably. It now costs VND2,200 to VND4,000 per fry.

Last year Vietnam exported tra and basa to 65 countries and territories, earning a record $700 million. The major markets included the European Union which bought almost half its exports, Russia, and the US.

The country hoped to earn $1 billion from catfish exports this year, said Ngo Phuoc Hau, chairman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP)’s Mekong Fresh Fish Committee.

Source: Thanh Nien Daily

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