Pangasius prices in the West are up to 32,000-33,000 VND per kg, the highest in the past 4 years; Farmers are happy because they have high profits after a long period of losses.
From mid-January to now, the price of pangasius from 22,000 VND per kg has increased sharply and has now reached 32,000-33,000 VND per kg (850 grams – 1 kg). This price makes farmers 5,000-8,000 VND per kg.
Nguyen Van Thanh, 60 years old, in Thot Not district, Can Tho city, said that in 2018, after reaching VND 34,000 per kg, the price of raw pangasius in the West dropped sharply. Over the past two years, the price of raw pangasius is only 20,000-24,000 VND, equivalent to or even below the production cost, sometimes only 18,000-19,000 VND per kg. Farmers lost money, hanging ponds in series.
Farmers in Binh Thuy district, Can Tho city, harvest pangasius. Photo: Kowloon
Farmers in Binh Thuy district, Can Tho city, harvest pangasius. Photo: Kowloon
Then, before the 2022 Lunar New Year, fish prices skyrocketed again. Two weeks ago, Mr. Thanh sold 400 tons of fish to an export processing enterprise in Tra Noc Industrial Park for 30,000 VND per kg.
“With this selling price, I made a profit of two billion dong (5,000 dong per kilogram). This is the first time fish farmers have made a profit after more than two years of losses because the selling price is lower than the investment cost,” said Mr. Thanh. said that there are two growing fish ponds, about three weeks to harvest more than 500 tons, the factory for people to see and pay 32,000 VND per kg.
And Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tuong (63 years old, in a district in O Mon district, Can Tho city) said that the current price of fish, farmers are very happy, but it is also a pity that many households have reduced their farming area and production or hung up their ponds.
“I am taking good care of two fish ponds that are nearly 6 months old, about two weeks later, they will reach the weight of grade 1. Enterprises let people order at the price of 33,000 VND per kilogram,” said Ms. Tuong and said that she is restoring 4 fish ponds. The familys empty pond to expand the scale of pangasius farming, but still worried that the investment cost will increase too high.
The owner of a large pangasius processing business for export in Can Tho said the high price of fish was due to a decrease in raw materials, a 30-40% shortage while the export markets demand recovered, increased sharply when Covid-19. -19 is under control.
“The current price of raw fish is quite good for both farmers and export processing factories, both sides are profitable,” said the business owner and said that now, two factories of the enterprise are located in Can Tho, Hau Giang needs about 500 tons of pangasius for export processing, but the supply can only meet 300-350 tons.
Processing pangasius for export at a factory in the Industrial Park in Can Tho. Photo: Kowloon
Processing pangasius for export at a factory in the Industrial Park in Can Tho. Photo: Kowloon
Mr. Duong Nghia Quoc, Chairman of the Vietnam Pangasius Association, said that the annual pangasius farming area in the Mekong Delta is about 6,000 hectares. When Covid-19 broke out, the price of fish dropped sharply, but it could not be sold, so many farmers only fed it in moderation. Currently, fish prices and export markets are both increasing, so it is likely that farming output will increase this year, especially in the second quarter.
“The current worry is that investment costs (seeds, feed, medicine, labor, petrol…) have increased very high. Especially the price of seed has increased three times, reaching 60,000 VND per kg but the supply is not enough. demand”, Mr. Quoc said and said that due to massive production, the quality of seed is difficult to guarantee, the loss rate is large, about 30-50%.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, the country currently has nearly 100 pangasius factories, mainly in the West. Pangasius products are exported to about 150 countries and territories around the world.
In 2021, the pangasius industry will produce more than 1.5 million tons and export over 1.6 billion USD. It is forecasted that this year, pangasius production will reach 1.6-1.7 million tons, exports will increase by 20-22%.