Private aquaculture research institute to lift product quality

The first private institute of aquaculture research in Viet Nam will open this week in Can Tho City. It will help farmers raise high-quality products.

The Binh An Aquaculture Join-Stock Company (Bian-fishco), which is one of the leading exporters of Vietnamese aquatic products, has invested more than US$10 million in building a new facility for the institute and equipping it with modern technology.

The Binh An Aquaculture Research Institute will conduct research and develop long-term strategic planning for the aquaculture sector.

Pham Thi Dieu Hien, Bianfishco’s general director, said she founded the institute to ensure the sustainable growth of the aquaculture sector.

Among the many aims of the institute is the creation of production value chains that meet the criteria of international standards on raising, processing and exporting products.

Stricter requirements

Hien said higher-quality fish were needed to meet increasingly strict requirements by buyers in and outside the country.

New technologies that can enhance the quality of breeds and, in turn, produce high profit will also be a research focus of the institute.

Other goals are to produce standardised fish feed as well as drugs and vaccinations that can be used to treat fish.

Biological products that facilitate aquaculture development and research will also be produced at the institute.

Besides research, the institute will set standards for food safety and hygiene and develop a system to trace the entire production chain of aquaculture back to its source.

The institute also intends to create a long-term marketing strategy and consumption distribution chains, and set up value chains for aquatic products.

It will support exporters and fish breeders by distributing information and offering guidance on quality fish breeding.

In addition, one of the most important tasks of the institute is to conduct research on the effects of climate change on fish breeding.

The Ministry of Science and Technology has given the private institute VND2.5 billion ($132,000) to aid in operational management.

Outstanding experts from the Binh An Aquaculture Joint-Stock Company will work at the institute. It will also employ staff from universities and institutes in the country and work with them to carry out projects.

In addition, Bianfishco will partner with universities around the world to develop effective models for breeding and processing aquaculture, which produce quality products at high profits.

The ministry will offer training to staff, including those with PhDs in the aquaculture field.

Bianfishco is the first company chosen by the ministry to develop a project to trace the entire production and distribution path with the use of information technology and radio wave technology.

This is the first project in Viet Nam to use such advanced technology in the aquaculture sector.

The tracing technology used on the product will help buyers have comprehensive information covering the beginning of production to the final purchase.

With such technology, businesses and exporters can easily discover the source of problems, and product quality can be assured.

Although tra fish is a specialty of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, it has not been exploited to its full potential.

Many breeders have quit the sector recently because of river pollution that has affected the quality of fish.

Lack of understanding between businesses and breeders has also led to problems in the industry. — VNS

Tags: The Binh An Aquaculture Research Institute