2:09:10 PM | 11/5/2007
Fisheries: Quick and Sustainable Development
The fishery economy has developed at a quick, sustainable and effective pace, and it is expanding. Binh Thuan Province made significant progress in fisheries in both the number of ships and ship fleet capacity. The fishery output was 150,600 tonnes in 2006.
With the aim of raising aquaculture output to 40 per cent of the fisheries sector value, Binh Thuan Province focuses investment on infrastructure for commercial shrimp rearing and industrial farming surfaces. In addition, the province also pays attention to building trademarks and developing breeding shrimp. At present, the province is home to 180 aquaculture units with 568 farms, which turned out 4.94 billion shrimp in 2006. Some of the big shrimp breeding companies, even at national scale, are Vietnam-Australia, CP and Anh Viet.
The development of aquatic processing for export is the focal task of fisheries, designed to add momentum to the development and restructuring of this sector. The province encourages and facilitates local companies and processing units modernising their processing and maintaining equipment and technology to raise the proportion of processed aquatic products to 70 per cent by 2010. To boost the processing industry, the province is pushing the formation and development of aquatic processing zones in four focal seaborne economic zones; namely, Phan Thiet, Phu Quy, Ham Tan and Tuy Phong. The 24-ha Phan Thiet fishing port processing zone has been invested by Vietnam Aquatic Product Building and Installation Joint Stock Company in the form of BOT investment.
Fishing logistics service is also of significant concern. Ship mooring and storm shelter ports in Phu Hai, Lien Huong, Phan Thiet, La Gi and Phan Ri Cua are creating favourable conditions for local and outside ships to dock, load and unload products and supply fishing logistics services. Service supply and product consumption will be coordinated with wholesale fish markets in the coming time. The future fishing port, which is calling for investment, will make a breakthrough in industrialisation and modernisation of the fisheries sector.
Industry: Continuous growth
In recent years, the industrial sector of Binh Thuan Province has maintained growth at a high rate. Major industrial fields are aquatic processing, tile and brick production, coal exploitation, ice production, salt production and mineral exploitation. In 2006, local industrial production growth was 20.24 per cent, the highest growth rate since 1999.
Aquatic processing: Aquatic processing output was 23,910 tonnes in 2006, up 10.14 per cent against 2005, including 7,332 tonnes of dried products and 16,578 tonnes of frozen products. Export turnover was US$61.6 million in 2006, and is targeted at US$100 million by 2010. Main exports were frozen cuttle-fish, frozen shrimp, frozen fish and seasoned dried fish. Traditional products are fish sauce and seasoned dried fish.
Apparel: This product has a very rapid growth rate. In 2006, the province turned out 2.86 million products, up 50.81 per cent on year. Phan Thiet Export Garment Company is independently operated while Thuan Tien Garment Co. Ltd and Binh Thuan-Nha Be Garment Joint Stock Company received orders from their parent companies. Export revenues were US$15.38 million in 2006, an on-year increase of 46.5 per cent. Main export markets are Italy, Canada and EU nations.
Mineral water: The mineral water output was 37 million litres in 2006, an increase of 5.7 per cent on year. Vinh Hao Mineral Water Joint Stock Company focused on expanding its business by approaching more restaurants, resorts and Ho Chi Minh City in 2006. Da Kai Mineral Water Joint Stock Company was in stable operation after being equitised. In 2006, mineral water output was 5.5 million litres, up 10 per cent on year.
Electricity generation: Electricity output was 1,871.7 million kWh in 2006, an increase of 39.81 per cent compared with 2005, including 1,864.9 million from Ham Thuan-Da Mi hydropower plant.
Oil and gas: This sector provides momentum for the development breakthrough of industry in Binh Thuan in the coming time. Mr Dinh Huy Hiep, Director of Binh Thuan Department of Industry, said this depends on the reserves in Emerald and Su Tu Trang fields. However, according to analyses, these two fields will supplement Rang Dong - Bach Hoi pipeline to Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. (Rang Dong and Bach Hoi fields are estimated to run out of oil by 2015.) Hence, investment for oil and gas must wait.
Agriculture: Developing advantageous livestock, crops
Binh Thuan Province agricultural production is more and more stable, thanks to sound restructuring of crop and livestock farming. Many areas have higher economic productivity thanks to the change to new crops and livestock.
The notable example for success is the dragon fruit. In recent years, the widely favoured dragon fruit has affirmed its advantage nationally as a specialty of Binh Thuan Province. The dragon fruit area is continuously expanding to the current nearly 7,000 ha, of which 5,789 ha are already bearing fruit. In 2006, dragon fruit output was 117,682 tonnes, including 22,248 tonnes for export, valued at more than US$16 million.
Two other valuable trees of Binh Thuan are cashew and rubber trees. The province has set up concentrated areas for the two. The total cashew area was more than 26,000 ha, of which 20,813 ha are being exploited. In 2006, the cashew output was 12,843 tonnes. The rubber tree has affirmed its top productivity and efficiency in the southern region of the province. With the soaring price of rubber, farmers are enthusiastically cultivating rubber trees.
In husbandry, Binh Thuan holds great potential to develop cattle herds. In 2006, in spite of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak and drought, cow husbandry for beef still expanded in both quantity and quality. A lot of scientific and technological advancements are applied to fatten cows, grow grass and improve cow species to develop local cow husbandry. The provincial cow herd consisted of more than 200,000 head. Current beef output is around 6,800 tonnes a year.
In investment attraction for agriculture, in 2006 Binh Thuan Province drew 14 agro-forestry investment projects with a combined registered capital of VND241.9 billion (US$15.12 million). In the coming time, BinhThuan will boost administrative reform, create favourable conditions for investors to pour their money into agriculture, and establish close links with industry and commerce to attract investment for farm product processing plants and production consumption networks.
Transport system: Priority for economic development
In the past five years, Binh Thuan has built many important traffic projects to meet travel demand of the people as well as local economic development. Binh Thuan’s well-developed transport system comprises of National Road 1A, National Road 28 linking Phat Thiet City with southern central provinces, National Road 55 linking to the oil and gas service centre in Vung Tau, and the north-south railway. The seaport system includes two underway, Phu Quy and Phan Thiet ports capable of supporting ships of 1,000 tonnes. In the future, VinhTan and Ke Ga port will be developed to receive ships with loads of up to 50,000 DWT.
In the past five years, Binh Thuan used up to 20-25 per cent of State budget for infrastructure construction to develop its transport system. In addition, the transport sector mobilised capital sources from national target programmes, investment assistance capital, ODA, public contributions and fee collection to construct many important transport works to satisfy travel demand and local socioeconomic development.
To date, all communes have concrete roads. In terms of transport area, Binh Thuan is follows only Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Long An in the southern region. This is a clear evidence for the strong development of the traffic system in Binh Thuan Province.
Binh Thuan has determined that tourism and industry are two key sectors to be strongly developed. Thus, roads supporting the development of these two sectors will be given priority. Accordingly, a road linking National Road 28 and seaports, a road leading to Ham Kien Industrial Zone, roads from National Road 55 to Son My and Tan Duc industrial zones will be built. Binh Thuan is calling investment for coastal roads from Hoa Thang to Hoa Phu (Tuy Phong) and for upgrading roads 720, 766, 706B, 714 and 55 and to accommodate development of the southern economic zone.
Ngoc Huong, Thuy Tien, Hai Nguyen