Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that tilapia would be developed as a major farmed species in Vietnam with increased export value.
The country has a great potential of raising, processing and exporting the fish. Enterprises in the Mekong delta provinces of Dong Thap and An Giang have exported the fish including fillet and frozen whole to many countries.
According to statistics, tilapia production was estimated at 125,000 tons in 2014. Of which, 25,000 tons were put into processing, equivalent to 10,000 tons of products. Domestic consumption reached 100,000 tons.
In 2014, the country’s total tilapia export turnover reached over US$32 million. The average export price of frozen whole tilapia was US$2.5 per kg and that of frozen fillets was US$4.5 per kg.
The US, Dutch, Spain, German and Colombia are potential markets of Vietnamese fishes. Currently, there are many fisheries processing factories in the Mekong delta. What Vietnam needs to do is to build its own brand name for the fish.
The Directorate said that if more enterprises favor the exporting of the fish, the areas for raising the fish will be expanded to 30,000 hectare by 2020 and productivity will reach 500,000-650,000 tons, earning US$130-150 million every year.
