Vietnam’s agricultural sector will export fisheries products worth US$11 billion by 2020 under a master plan approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, official media have reported.
Last year Vietnam exported fish products worth US$6.1 million, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Output of white-legged shrimp and tra fish totalled 200,000 and 1,300,000 tons respectively, helping export revenues increase 21% on 2010’s total.
This plan aims to raise agro-forestry exports to US$40 billion by 2020 and is based on annual growth of 3.4-4% for the farming, forestry and fisheries sectors. It will also see over one million hectares of land reclaimed.
Vietnam’s fisheries production reached 364,200 tons, a year-on-year increase of 2.2%. Aquaculture production was 172,000 tons, up 6.5% compared with the same period last year, while seafood catch dropped by 1.4% to 192,200 tons.
Seafood exporters themselves are warning of a tough 2012 as the industry battles challenges.
These include a shortage of working capital and raw materials for processing, a fall in overseas demand especially in the EU and costly quality inspections, said Tran Thien Hai, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers.
