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Developments in science and technology research will continue to push Vietnamese seafood exports toward USD 8 billion in 2020, it is predicted.
Dr Pham Anh Tuan, deputy head of the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), said domestic aquaculture had expanded outstandingly and output jumped by 15 per cent on average per year recently.
Some 1.1 million ha of farms in Vietnam produced nearly 2.8 million tonnes of seafood worth USD 4.94 billion in exports last year.
Recent seafood technology research has boosted the quality of seafood breeds such as the second generation of tra (pangasius), which grows 13 per cent faster than the first one; production of parent black tiger shrimp to cut dependence on naturally-grown and imported parent shrimp; and use of androgenic microsurgery technology for production of quick-growing blue-clawed male shrimp, Vietnam Economic News reports.
Domestic research on improving the quality of seafood breeds and farming technology has exceeded the regional level. For instance, tra output has been 150-400 tonnes per ha (averaging 200 tonnes per ha); Vietnam is the only country to rear fish at a high productivity in large ponds.
Vietnam and India have been leaders in technology for mass production of blue-clawed male shrimp and white-clawed crayfish, with a productivity of 20-25 tonnes per ha per crop -- as much as China and Thailand.
Even so, Tuan said the technology faces obstacles regarding scattered farming, inadequate infrastructure and high water consumption in Vietnam.
Few farming areas meet the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standard. Pangasius farmers have complained that they must meet 23 different standards but no “golden standard” applicable by all importers exists.
High risk of disease and excessive production costs have lowered production efficiency; shrimp farmers this year have faced increasing losses due to severe weather conditions spreading disease.
Preserving pure original shrimp breeds is key for improving the quality of seafood varieties, Tuan explained, and feed and vaccine research and application in production are lacking.
Vietnam could make USD 8 billion from exports in 2020 if it develops planning on seafood farming areas, transferring technology, investing in the irrigation system, controlling and applying new breeds, managing environmental standards and moves to comply with good practice.
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