This is the year when both of shrimp and fish are competing to each other for turnover till ending of year

The Black Tiger Shrimp : the good first, the bad late
In several recent years, the shrimp farmers have been miserable because of diseases and unstable climate that made shrimps die serially and because there were many difficulties in output. Sometimes the process enterprises must be in stock about 40.000 tonnes of frozen Black Tiger Shrimps, not able to sell because the international market is tending to use white leg Shrimp. Sometimes the white leg shrimps gain 80% of market share of frozen shrimps, push the black tiger shrimp into the difficult situation

In the first six months of 2009, the price of black tiger shrimp went down at the lowest level of ten years because of global economic’s impacts. The vacant raising areas are about 30%, and the state of shrimp’s death made the output of the whole region go down.

In the middle of 2009, the market’s need of  black tiger shrimp in the world had a signal of increase again, the more quickly the ending of year come, the more the orders to serve for Christmas and Western New Year are, it made the shrimp material be scarce. The price of shrimp material increased again, 20.000- 30.000 VND/kg in average compared to June ( type of 20 shrimps/kg nearly 150.000 VND/kg and 30 shrimps/kg – 110.000 VND/kg )

Till ending of December in 2009, in Ca Mau province, the black tiger shrimp with type of 20 shrimps/kg – 180.000 VND/kg, type of 40 shrimps/kg – 180.000 VND/kg. This is the time when black tiger shrimp material’s price is highest of this year ( increased about 45% compared to the same period of last year ) and shrimp farmers feel more comfortable because in the ending of year, they not only have a good crop, but also go for a good price. About 80% householders all get interest ( or breakeven ) 50-60 millions VND/hectare/householder in average. Especially, there are many householders get hundreds of millions VND in interest. Therefore, in first eight months of 2009, the expoort turnover of shrimp went down, made a change for Pangasius’ overtaking, but in recent time, shrimp export has continued being the first position in export seafood industry

For process enterprises, lacking of shrimp material is rather popular in process factories. Now, most of seafood process factories in Ca Mau province operate under 50% power because of lack of materials

Meanwhile, although the market of black tiger shrimp is recovering, it’s not the reason for raisers to feel quite happy, the infrastructure of shrimp industry is still backward ( system of irrigation is poor, the environment is polluted, quality of breeders hasn’t improved or better quarantine )…haven’t mentioned about how change of climate that many countries are mentioning will effect for the Mekong delta, it is the challenge for area raising black tiger shrimp in the Mekong delta in 2010

Pangasius : Farmers meet many difficulties
In the beginning of 2009, many people thought that with the frozen shrimps’ dificulties and the strong rate of growth in many years, pangasius will outdo the shrimp and become a top export product of Vietnam seafood. This is also efficacious untill August – 2009, when export turnover of Pangasius usually is in top of seafood industry

But from that time till now, exporting Pangasius has been worse. According to the Industry and Trade ministry, in 2009, the export turnover of Pangasius is in level of 1.3 billions USD ( 1.45 billions USD in 2008 ). 2009 is the crisis and worst year of Pangasius raisers, the raising area reduced gradually because of loss and out of capital when the banks considered the Pangasius as fishes having many risks for raising

For this reason, in spite of middle of 2009, the need of materials for export process of enterprises was increasing, it made Pangaisus increase 16.500 – 17.000 VND/kg ( type of 1 ), that was the highest price after ending of materials excess crisis in 2008. With this price, the farmers could get interest 1.000 – 2.000 VND/kg, but there were many raisers leaving the pond empty or raising with sparse density because of lack of capital and being in debt..

From July till now, exporting Pangasius of Vietnam has gone down continuously in quanlity and value compared to the same period of last year, on an average in 2009, the price of  export frozen fillet Pangasius has reduced, just got 2.2 USD/kg, lower than 2009 and twice lower than the golden age about 5 USD/kg. This is the result of the problem that Russia , a very potential market and in 2008 this market had an import level in boom, but in the ending of 2008 and beginning of 2009, it was freezed, after that, limiting of quanlity and very few enterprises exporting to this market although it openned to import again.

Meanwhile, the traditional and new markets aim to protect the domestic fish products that the local opinion rumored false that Vietnam fillet Pangasius had some problems of food safety and hygiene. Although the Pangasius was clear, it still didn’t increase again quickly as our wish

It happened on the contrary, materials are scarce, but the price of pangasius still goes down instead of increasing as supply and demand’s rule. This is a tragedy of pangasius raisers in Mekong delta in 2009. It is also the consequence of enterprises’ struggle for customers, reducing the selling price, for this opportunity, the importers will buy if the price reducing . Two biggest seafood import markets of Vietnam, America and EU, reducing strongly in quanlity and price

By Cong Phien

Source: SGGP

Translated by Vietfish Community