Vietnam is estimated to have exported US$2.343 billion worth of seafood products in the first seven months of 2008, an on year rise of 17.7 per cent, according to latest report of the General Statistics Office (GSO).
The GSO said in July, the country’s export revenue from seafood was US$430 million, up from US$380 million in June.
The report showed that in July 2008, Vietnam’s aquatic product output was around 427,500 tons, up 15 per cent against the same month of last year. The total included 251,000 tons from aquaculture farms, up 21.5 per cent; and 176,500 tons from fishing vessels, up 2.7 per cent.
The figures brought the country’s total aquatic product output in the first seven months of 2008 to more than 2.55 million tons, up 11.4 per cent on year, including 1.986 million tons of fish (+14.1 per cent), and 231,600 tons of shrimp (+1.5 per cent).
Of the total, aquaculture farms contributed 1.296 million tons, up 25 per cent, while fishing vessels contributing 1.255 million tons, up 0.1 per cent from the first seven months of 2007.
According to the report, Vietnamese fishery sector is now facing with difficulties resulting from increased aquatic feed prices, but decreased seafood export prices, and soared fuel prices.
Currently, total volume of fish unmarketable in Mekong Delta provinces are still big, including 25,000 tons in An Giang, 27,000 tons in Dong Thap, 12,000 tons in Can Tho, and 11,000 tons in Kien Giang.
Meanwhile, hundreds of fishing vessels in the Mekong Delta are idle because of recent petrol hikes. Oil prices for fishing ships on July 21 went up VND2,000 a liter to VND20,000 a liter. (GSO July Edition)
Vietnamese
