Seafood exports likely to increase by 14 pct

Despite continuous encountered difficulties from the beginning of this year so far, Vietnam’s fisheries sector has gradually asserted its position and conquered more difficult markets in the world.

The country’s fisheries export turnover in 2010 is expected to gain the target of $4.815 billion, up 14 percent over the same period in 2009, according to the Centre of Informatics and Statistics under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Till the end of September, Vietnam has exported over 969,200 tonnes of seafood, fetching over $3.5 billion, up 10.9 percent in quantity and 15.4 percent in value over the same period last year, reported the general Department of Customs.

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (Vasep) said that despite meeting consecutive difficulties, Vietnam’s agricultural sector has gradually affirmed its position and conquered many difficult markets around the world. In particular, Vietnam’s biggest seafood buyer is still Japan with 18.4 percent, and followed by the US with 17.9 percent.

For the European Union (EU) market, despite continuous difficulties in the country of source materials and technical barriers from importers, seafood exports to this market since early this year are still growing. In first nine months, the EU imported over 259,800 tonnes of aquatic products from Vietnam, worth over $826.7 million, up 2.2 percent in quantity and 6.3 percent in value over the same period last year.

In the same period last year, shrimp continued to be the leader in Vietnam’s seafood exports (up 22.1 percent against previous year). Tra catfish exports ranked the second with 475,000 tonnes valued at over $1 billion, up 6.4 percent in quantity and 2.1 percent in value year-on-year.

Apart from traditional markets, Vietnamese agriculture is now penetrating America and the Middle East. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) forecast, the demand for seafood products in Asia and Europe will increase sharply in the future.

Along with the shrimp and tra catfish, the export turnover of tuna, crustaceans and mollusca also reported high growth.

Apart from traditional markets, Vietnamese agriculture is now penetrating America and the Middle East. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s forecast, the demand for seafood products in Asia and Europe will increase sharply in the future. – VOV

Tags: Vietnam Seafood, Vietnam seafood exports