Farmers in Mekong Delta provinces of Dong Thap and Vinh Long are facing a number of difficulties, which are blamed for falling pangasius prices, the Vietnam Trade Information Center reported.
In Dong Thap, prices of pangasius are dropping to VND14,000 a kilo after hitting VND15,000 per kilo in April.
Increased animal feed prices, but low loan access forcing farmers to barter their fish away made prices down, a local farmer said, adding that with the price falls they suffered loss of around VND2,000 per kilo of pangasius.
Since the beginning of this year, pangasius breeding area in Dong Thap has decreased by 113 hectares from the same period of last year, raising concern among local processing plants about material shortage in the coming months.
Dong Thap is now home to eight seafood processing plants with designed capacity of 240,000 tons per year, nearly equal to the province’s last year total aquatic output. Meanwhile, another eight plants are expected to come into operation late this year.
In Vinh Long, white-meat pangasius is selling for VND14,500 a kilo, down between VND700 and VND1,000 a kilo against a month earlier.
According to the provincial agricultural service, the province has more than 13,500 tons of pangasius needing catching by late May.
Local seafood companies need nearly VND200 billion to buy material for processing, but faced by high lending interest rate and limited loan.
Vinh Long now has 334 hectares under pangasius breeding, with total output of 127,000 tons. (Vinanet)
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