Though having to face a lot of difficulties in both materials and output of the product, by their efforts, enterprises of processing seafood have overcome difficulties and had their own positions in the global market.

Harsh competition

According to Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers – VASEP, seafood sector has never faced series of difficulties like this time. In domestic market, two main farmed species-shrimp and pangasius are delayed due to lack of capital. This leads to the serious lack of materials, many factories works  perfunctorily.

Meanwhile, the output is stuck due to narrowed export markets. Currently, our seafood only has 122 markets which decreases 37 compared to 2008.

Moreover, in the situation of economic downturn, other countries have made use of technical barrier to stop import, which causes a lot of troubles for Vietnamese enterprises. After Egypt, Italian market had negative information against Vietnamese pangasius. Some means of communication in Italy broadcast reportages, published news considering that pangasius were farmed in polluted water, which made consumers worrying.

Currently, many Vietnamese seafood has lost competition capacity compared to other countries in the global market. Specifically, our shrimps are usually sold with the price of 0.1-0.2 USD/kg lower than that of Thailand while the expenditure for the input is 15%-20% higher. This is also reason causing troubles for seafood sector.

To reach the goal (4.5 billion USD in 2009), enterprises have to look into themselves in order to overcome weak points. Say “No” to cheating in business, selling unqualified goods which cause bad image for the whole sector.

The act of propagandizing, building Vietnamese seafood in global market needs more concerns from enterprises. Mr Nguyen Nhu Tiep, Vice Department Minister of Department of managing the quality of agriculture, forestry and seafood confirms that it needs to have full information about Vietnamese pangasius in export markets, especially new ones to avoid misunderstandings.

Confirming position

Overcoming all difficulties, in the first four months, seafood export in the country reach 1.05 billion USD. Export goods are : pangasius reached 265 million USD(with the volume of 116,000 tonnes which increases 1.5% compared to the same period last year), shrimp reach 234 million USD (27,800 tonnes of both frozen and processed shrimps), tuna reached 28.4 million USD (8,870 tonnes)… Such results have proved the great effort of enterprises of seafood in recent months.

At the end of April, in Brussels (Belgium), Seafood Harmony products of Vinh Hoan company were rewarded a special award after winning 37 seafood products in the final round. This has changed the image of importers about Vietnamese seafood. It also raises the position of Vietnamese seafood, especially in the situation when Vietnamese processed seafood has to compete harshly with Chinese seafood in European market.

In mid May, 10 Vietnamese enterprises of processing pangasius will officially export to Russian market again after 4 months of delaying. The batch of pangasius is about 20,000 tonnes with the average price of 2 USD/kg.

It is expected that in 2009 Vietnam will export 100,000 tonnes pangasius with the turnover of 200 million USD to Russian market.

These positive signs will be the base for seafood export to reach the goal and confirm the position in the global market.

Van Dung