Attending the ceremony were representatives of agencies and units under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the People's Committees of the provinces: Hau Giang, Ca Mau, Soc Trang; Directorate of Fisheries, Agro-Forestry and Fisheries Quality Control Department, Agro-Product Processing and Market Development Department, Department of Animal Health, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in some coastal provinces and the Mekong Delta.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development - Mr. Phung Duc Tien and Mr. Dong Van Thanh - Chairman of the People's Committee of Hau Giang province chaired the ceremony.
At the end of a turbulent year, we have achieved very proud results, despite the difficulties caused by the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic, interrupted export activities due to border closures. Many fast food restaurants in major importing countries were closed, shipping was delayed, some orders canceled or delayed delivery, some customers refused to make new orders. Severe and prolonged salty drought in the Mekong Delta makes it difficult for farmers to breed new crops, fish are sick or die. The processing business mainly buys raw fish in the chain or the fish of the business leading the amount of fish in stock is quite high and inventories in business are quite high. The demand for seafood products of high economic value objects (cold water fish, shellfish, snail, ...) decreases because these objects mainly serve the needs of export and consumption in restaurant.
The fisheries sector is also facing many difficulties due to the competition from countries such as India and Ecuador, which have intensified farming of raw shrimp to supply to the world market. Technical barriers of some importing countries affect seafood production. The weather in the last months of the year has continuously appeared tropical depressions and storms in the central coast region of Vietnam causing many difficulties and damages for people.
However, the growth rate of seafood production in 2020 will continue to be maintained. The growth rate of seafood production value (constant prices in 2010) reached 3.05% compared to 2019, the total output reached 8.4 million tons, up 1.8% (in which the catch production achieved 3.85 million tons, up 2.1%, farming production achieved 4.56 million tons, up 1.5%). Export turnover is estimated at 8.4 billion USD.
Regarding brackish water shrimp farming, in the first months of 2020, the production deployment faced many difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandamic accompanied by saline intrusion in key farming areas, leading to production of brackish water shrimp and especially, the black tiger shrimp has decreased. By the last months of 2020, the brackish water shrimp production had recovered when the domestic Covid-19 pandemic was controlled. The recovery of brackish shrimp exports helped brackish water shrimp production has grown well, the total output has exceeded the plan for 2020. By 2020, the total production of farmed shrimp reached 900 thousand tons. In which, tiger shrimp reached 267.7 thousand tons, an increase of 1% compared to 2019; whiteleg shrimp 632.3 thousand tons, an increase of 8.5% compared to 2019.
At the ceremony, Deputy Minister – Mr. Phung Duc Tien praised the seafood industry for achieving very proud results in 2020. The year of 2021 is forecasted to continue to be a year of difficulties and challenges for production and seafood export of Vietnam. Therefore, we can not rest in victory.
The Deputy Minister said that favorable factors such as the world economy's growth again after the Covid-19 pandemic was controlled, the advantages from taking advantage of the preferences of the CPTTP and EVFTA, UKVFTA Agreements, etc, anti-dumping tax rates on the US market decreased. At the same time, the domestic politics and economy continued to be stable, with the drastic direction and attention of the Government and the Prime Minister helping the fisheries sector continue to maintain a high growth rate and improve efficiency.
In addition to the above advantages, complicated weather changes due to climate change, the shortage of water supplies for the Mekong Delta, increasing requirements for food safety and traceability of markets, negative effects by Covid-19 pandemic which are difficulties and challenges to the plan of 2021. Mr. Phung Duc Tien emphasized that in order to continue promoting the development of Vietnam's shrimp industry towards export spending will reach 10 billion USD by 2025 that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has set for the fisheries sector. At the same time, parties were helped for participating in the shrimp value chain in Vietnam to promptly grasp opportunities that Trade Agreements (FTAs), as well as preparing for facing and solving challenges. Manufacturing, processing and exporting enterprises need to focus on developing high-quality shrimp products, manufactured under advanced technology processes, certified by international standards to meet quality and food safety requirements., in accordance with consumer tastes at home and abroad. At the same time, consumption of shrimp products need to promoted.
Each export seafood shipment is a message that we send to friends around the world not only about quality, safety when using, but more deeply is the bravery of Vietnamese people in mastering of technology, production management, trade connection. That is also the heart and responsibility of Vietnamese people when participating in the global food production and supply machinery before any difficulties.
In order to achieve the goals and plans set for the year 2021, the Deputy Minister asked, right from the first days of the new year, the new crop, we need to focus on directing the units, businesses and farmers to prepare conditions well and stocking according to the crop calendar year 2021, strengthening environmental monitoring and warning to promptly make recommendations and warnings to minimize damage to climate change adaptive farmers, drought, saline intrusion. It is importance for disease prevention, in which disease prevention is the main consideration through appropriate farming models / methods for each region / object; control impurities, chemical and antibiotic residues in shrimp products to ensure disease safety and food safety.
Market developments are assessed regularly to propose solutions, promptly inform and propagate so that people know, have appropriate production plans. It is need to strengthen cooperation and solidarity among businesses in accessing, maintaining and expanding, diversifying markets, complying with Vietnamese regulations and import markets, resolutely eliminating the loss of solidarity, unfair competition, law violation, unsustainable development.
The links between units participating in the production chain are strengthened in order to improve quality, ensure traceability, continue to increase the proportion of value-added export products. Quality control programs are completed and the quality of raw materials are well managed.
To promptly notify relevant ministries and branches of problems arising in the export process for timely handling measures; continue to proactively propose amending and perfecting policies to create maximum conditions for production and export activities, but still ensure management requirements and sustainable growth.
Localities are requested to strictly implement regulations and guiding documents of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, promptly inform farmers about new regulations, production directives, and market information. Production development towards a chain link is encouraged. At the same time, the quality of inputs and controling farming conditions are well managed to ensure the quality and safety of aquatic food. It need to encourage and timely praise farmers and businesses to actively participate in the association of production, product consumption and support farmers in difficult times.
Associations are requested to mobilize and propagate their members to apply new technologies to reduce production costs. Linking production, replicating effective models and production chains are promoted; output market is maintained and developed, fighted with technical barriers.
Le Mai (theo tongcucthuysan.gov.vn)