Seafood exports hoped to fetch US$7.1 billion in 2017
The Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has set a goal of US$7.1 billion in seafood export revenue in 2017.
MARD Deputy Minister Vu Van Tam held that in order to fulfil the goal, the fisheries sector should focus on better exploiting the country’s advantages in aquatic farming.
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For tra fish, a key export staple, Deputy Minister Tam said attention should be focused on tackling market barriers in import countries and on building a strategy for developing national product of catfish, creating high quality products with strong trademark.
Tam also highlighted the need to create a breakthrough in tra fish consumption in the potential domestic market with 90 million people. He revealed that the ministry will organise a large-scale trade fair specializing in tra fish in Hanoi in 2017.
According to the Directorate of Fisheries, in 2016, seafood exports fetched about US$7 billion. Total aquatic production output of the country reached over 6.7 million tonnes, including 3.1 million tonnes of sea catch and more than 3.6 million tonnes of farmed products. Total water surface area for aquaculture was 1.3 million hectares.