Since late July, the pandemic has been ravaging the Mekong Delta region. Many local fish factories have failed in the stay-at-work policy application due to sharply increased costs and material transportation difficulties. Many workers also rejected the scheme, so lots of the plants have been forced to suspend their operations.
A tra fish farm in the Mekong Delta region
Dong Thap Province which is home to the country’s largest tra fish hub, at present, a kilo of raw tra fish is just around VND20,500-22,000. In Vinh Long Province, the supply sources of tra fish are abundant, but because of the closure of many local processors raw tra fish prices are on the fall.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), since the second quarter of this year, tra fish export demand from many markets such as the US, Brazil, Mexico, Thailand, Canada, Colombia, Russia and UAE has increased again. However, the Mekong Delta region’s tra fish factories have missed many export opportunities due to the pandemic.
Duong Nghia Quoc, chairman of Vietnam Pangasius Association, said that it was essential for workers at tra fish processing firms to be vaccinated against Covid-19. The enterprises also need to be offered tax reductions and other credit assistance amid the challenging period.
In August, Vietnam’s seafood export value was estimated at USD520 million, down 36% on-year. The situation is forecasted not to be brighter in September.
If most seafood workers are vaccinated against Covid-19 after September, the local seafood sector is expected to slightly improve in the fourth quarter of this year with an export value of USD8.5-8.6 billion, including USD1.5 billion for tra fish.