1.9Mln tonnes of seafood to be exported in 2020

Vietnam will export 1.6 million tonnes of seafood, earning US$6.5 billion by 2015 and 1.9 million tonnes worth US$8 billion by 2020, according to the seafood processing development plan.

The Director of the Centre of Consulting and Fisheries Development Planning, said that to achieve the target, the State should provide preferential loans to processing businesses to help them improve their factories and stores. Provinces should also allocate land for them and develop infrastructure for key seafood markets.

The Seafood Processing Association should work with businesses to make estimates and requirements for capacity to ensure enough material supplies and to seek out consumer markets, focus on sustainable aquaculture, exploitation, processing and consumption, and meet environmental protection requirements.

Speaking at a seminar on the national seafood processing plan to 2020 on November 16, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vu Van Tam, said that currently Vietnam exports seafood products to 160 countries and territories and is among the ten world’s leading seafood exporters.

In 2009, the country had 396 industrial seafood processing businesses.

The processing industry still has some snags, such as lack of planning, out-of-date technologies and equipment, too few new lines of technologies, lack of coordination among the processing industry, material production and markets, and inadequate environmental protection measures.

Mr Tam emphasised that if it wants to develop sustainably, the fisheries sector needs a proper development plan which is based on accurate and complete material supplies, current situation for processing, market research and forecasts of future development conditions.- VOV

Tags: Vietnam Seafood, Vietnam seafood exports