The conference was attended by representatives from various units under MARD, the Fisheries Department; the Ministry of Public Security; the Fisheries Surveillance Department; the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development of Agricultural Products; the Veterinary Department; the National Agricultural Extension Center, the Institute of Fisheries Economics and Planning; the Aquaculture Research Institutes I, II, III; the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP); the Vietnam Fisheries Association, and press reporters covering the event.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phùng Đức Tiến attended and directed the conference.
According to the Fisheries Department report, the total seafood production in the first half of 2024 reached over 4.38 million tons, up 2.7% compared to the same period in 2023. This includes over 1.95 million tons from fishing and more than 2.43 million tons from aquaculture. The total seafood export value reached $4.355 billion, up 4.9% compared to the same period in 2023.
Regarding seed production, the whole country has 7,256 breeding and nursery facilities with a total production of 166 billion units, including 7 facilities for brackish water shrimp broodstock, 2,267 facilities for commercial shrimp, 1,690 facilities for pangasius, 835 facilities for mollusk, 112 facilities for marine fish, and 195 facilities for freshwater fish. In terms of aquaculture: marine farming includes approximately 9.2 million cubic meters of cages (4 million cubic meters for marine fish; 5.2 million cubic meters for lobster) and 55 hectares for mollusks (clams, oysters, mussels, squid).
Brackish water aquaculture covers an area of 674.5 thousand hectares, up 1.1% compared to the same period (brackish water shrimp, black tiger shrimp, white-leg shrimp) with a production of 454.8 thousand tons. The area for pangasius farming is 3,104 hectares, a decrease of 2.8% compared to the same period, with a production of 832 thousand tons, up 5.4% compared to the same period in 2023.
The total seafood catch is 1.953 million tons, including 1.864 million tons from marine fishing and 89 thousand tons from inland fishing (rivers, lakes).
The country currently has 85,980 boats: 39,867 boats with a length of 6-12 meters; 16,561 boats with a length of 12-15 meters; 27,022 boats with a length of 15-24 meters; and 2,530 boats over 24 meters long.
Despite the achievements, the fisheries sector still faces difficulties in implementing the set goals. Therefore, Director of the Fisheries Department, Mr. Trần Đình Luân, requested participants to focus on identifying and proposing specific solutions for each target and sector to advise the department leaders, ministry, and local authorities to manage effectively in the second half of 2024.
Ms. Lê Hằng, Communications Director of VASEP, reported that in June 2024, the country's seafood export value was estimated at $875 million, up 14% compared to the same period last year. This is the highest export value month of 2024 so far. This result brought the seafood export value in the first half of this year to over $4.35 billion, up nearly 4.9% compared to the same period in 2023.
Exports of most major products increased in June, including pangasius by 22%, tuna by 40%, and crab by 59%. Only shrimp showed a slight increase of 7%, while squid and octopus slightly decreased compared to the same period last year.
Shrimp exports alone brought in over $1.6 billion in the first half of the year, up 7% compared to the same period last year. White-leg shrimp accounted for nearly $1.2 billion, up 3%, while black tiger shrimp exceeded $200 million, down 10%. Lobster exports saw a significant increase, multiplying by 57 times compared to the same period, reaching over $130 million.
China is the largest market for Vietnamese lobster, accounting for 98-99% of exports. Lobster exports to China in the first half of 2024 increased 57 times compared to the same period last year.
Vietnam currently has 46 packaging facilities eligible for exporting lobster to China. While lobster exports to China are favorable, long-term efforts should focus on establishing official export channels. This requires building linkages from production and procurement to export, ensuring transparent traceability.
Pangasius exports reached $922 million in the first half of 2024, up nearly 6% compared to the same period. Despite improvements in market demand, export prices to markets like China, the EU, and the UK remain low, with only the US market showing more positive signals in terms of both price and volume.
Tuna exports in the first half of the year increased by nearly 25% to $477 million, mainly due to strong growth in the canned and bagged tuna segment.
In addition to tuna, other marine fish products also saw increased demand and sales in the first half of the year. These include barramundi, which grew by 27% to over $36 million, yellowtail by 14% to over $29 million, mackerel by 6%, pollock by 8% to $38 million, and amberjack by 96%. Certain freshwater fish also saw increased import demand, including tilapia up 32%, snakehead fish up 18%, and eel up 93%.
In terms of market consumption, the EU is showing signs of gradual stabilization. Market prices and consumption are stabilizing, and seafood inflation continued to decrease to 2.1% in May. Since March, inflation has even dropped significantly for frozen seafood, with a negative inflation rate of 0.9% in May. It is forecasted that EU demand and imports will increase after the summer vacation in Europe.
Additionally, seafood exports to the two largest markets, the US and China – Hong Kong (China), recorded high growth in June. Specifically, seafood exports to the US increased by 14% and to China – Hong Kong (China) by 18%.
According to experts, the US economy shows optimistic signals this year. Inflation in the US has quickly decreased from 9% to 3% this year, and there are expectations that the US will soon reduce interest rates to stimulate consumption, providing good opportunities for exporters. In the first half of the year, seafood exports to the US reached $733 million, up 9%, and to China – Hong Kong (China) up 7% to $766 million.
However, the biggest challenge for seafood exports comes from direct competitors like Ecuador and India, whose cheaper shrimp are capturing market share from us in certain markets. Moreover, unpredictable disease developments could significantly affect raw material sources in the second half of the year. Therefore, it is necessary to have solutions for disease control, strengthen environmental monitoring and timely forecasts to the people to stabilize raw material sources in the second half of the year. Besides, tuna raw materials will also be a significant challenge in the second half of 2024 if size regulations are not promptly adjusted.
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In concluding the conference, Deputy Minister Phùng Đức Tiến acknowledged and appreciated the positive results achieved by the fisheries sector in the first half of 2024, with most targets met or exceeded. The growth trajectory, new drivers, and positive market and weather forecasts for the second half of 2024 are encouraging. However, certain goals, such as reducing fishing output and increasing aquaculture production, have not yet been fully realized. Management of the fishing fleet and job transitions need more significant improvements. In combating IUU fishing, stricter measures are required to lift the "yellow card" warning, especially in managing the fishing fleet and handling violations.
For the second half of 2024, the fisheries sector must continue promoting the growth of pangasius, shrimp, tuna, and seafood products with competitive advantages. Long-term development should focus on reducing fishing output, increasing aquaculture production, and implementing policies for comprehensive development of the fisheries sector.
Van Tho (Hai Dang translated)