Seafood enterprises save each order

Major export commodities all decreased

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), compared to the first months of 2023, Vietnam's seafood exports are currently recovering and will be higher in the next month than in the previous month. However, it is still lower than the same period last year.

Data from VASEP shows that seafood exports in June 2023 were estimated to reach approximately USD 800 million, down 21% compared to June 2022. In the first six months of 2023, Vietnam's seafood exports were estimated to reach USD 4.13 billion, down 27.4% over the same period in 2022.

Of which, shrimp exports in June were estimated at USD 341 million, the highest level since the beginning of the year but still down 18% compared to June 2022. This is also the lowest decrease since the beginning of the year. Accumulated in the first half of the year, shrimp exports reached approximately USD 1.6 billion, down 31% compared to the first half of 2022.

As for the pangasius industry, exports in June were estimated at USD 156 million, down 26% compared to June 2023. Accumulated in the first six months of the year, pangasius exports were estimated at over USD 885 million, down 38% over the same period last year.

For the tuna industry, export turnover in June decreased by 29%, reaching only USD 64 million. Accumulated in the first half of the year, tuna exports only reached USD 380 million, down 31% over the same period last year.

Many quality inspection teams

Mr. Le Ba Anh, Deputy Director of the Department of Quality, Processing, and Market Development (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), said that as for the microbial control program, in the first six months of 2023, samples of antibiotic infection in the raising process continued to be detected, with 8/743 violating samples.

"From now until the end of the year, we have received information that inspection teams from China, Korea, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, etc. plan to come to Vietnam to inspect and check food safety conditions," Mr. Le Ba Anh informed.

Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam, Deputy Secretary General of VASEP, said: "From a market-related perspective, seafood exports and difficulties at this time may still last until the end of the third quarter of 2023. In the current context, the industry's recovery will depend a lot on the outside market, although now it is called the bottom tightening, which means the negative part has been reduced.”

"Currently, there have been a lot of inspection teams related to illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing and food safety. With the discovery by the European food safety inspection team that our chains have a number of issues that need to be considered, adjusted, and improved, the Association is now coordinating with the Department of Quality, Processing, and Market Development to focus on these issues in order to take urgent remedial measures so that the European side can see that we are taking timely measures. However, from the perspective of the business community, it can be seen that, facing the difficulties in recent times, enterprises have been saving each order and each business opportunity," said Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam.

Mr. Tran Dinh Luan, Director of the Department of Fisheries, emphasized that although the output and area of aquaculture in the first six months of 2023 still maintained their growth rate, seafood exports decreased deeply. Hopefully, from now to the end of the year, seafood exports will show many improvements and seafood export turnover will increase.

Accordingly, Mr. Tran Dinh Luan also pointed out the difficulties and challenges that the industry needs to focus on solving in the last six months of the year, such as environmental pollution, an increasing trend in disease situations, animal welfare, and many other existing problems in the field of fishing, such as working conditions on fishing vessels, food safety at fishing ports, traceability, etc.

Mr. Luan requested the leaders of units and localities to take more drastic action, proactively solve their work, promptly report, and consult the leaders of the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to solve the problems.

"The results of the seafood industry in the first six months of 2023 have not met expectations. Accordingly, in the last six months of the year, we have to focus on what to do to ensure the growth target as set out," said Mr. Luan.