Vietnamese lobster exported regularly to China, farmers gain profits

The price of lobster remains stable

In Cam Binh commune, Cam Ranh city - a green lobster farming hub in Khanh Hoa province, traders often drive their boats passing through the farming rafts to buy lobster for export to China.

Nguyen Van Hau, a lobster farmer in Binh Ba Tay hamlet, Cam Binh commune shared: “More and more traders seeking for lobsters. However, the lobster output is not that abundant. Fortunately, the price of lobster has remained stable despite the impact of Covid-19. Several farmers have garnered hundreds of millions to billion dongs of profits, making up for the production loss in 2020.”

In the first months of this year, the price of lobster sometimes reached VND1.2 million per kilogram. However, from the beginning of April, it dropped to VND 800,00 per kilogram and has remained stable up to now.

From Tet, Hau has exported two batches of lobster with the profit gaining to billion of dongs, the recent batch of one ton of green lobster was sold, with an average price of VND 800,000 per kilogram, making VND 500 million in profit.

Cao Van Tuan in Binh Ba Tay hamlet is also eager to release 7 cages of blue lobster (400 within each) and acquired VND 30 million per cage.

Tuan said that his household is owning eight cages of green lobsters, which have been raised for five to six months. Meanwhile, there are not many lobsters on the farming rafts that may lead to a shortage in July and August.

Nguyen An, Chairman of Cam Binh Commune People’s Committee said that the region remains farming at 10,000 cages of lobsters, mainly the green one. He confirmed the steadiness of lobster price from the beginning of this year, ensuring profit for farmers.

The price of tropical rock lobster is also leveling off, purchased at VND 600,000 – 700,000 per kilogram.

Regular exporting to China

According to some businesses trading lobster in Khanh Hoa, now it is mainly exported to the Chinese market. The reason why the lobster price has remained high and stable in the past time is that the supply is moderate and export activities take place normally, without obstacles. Although the two countries Vietnam and China are still tightening the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has not affected deeply in trading activities.

A company in Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa) purchases lobsters for export to the Chinese market added that from the beginning of the year until now, the price of all kinds of lobsters has been purchased by businesses has been stable at an average of VND 800,000 per kilogram (green lobster), so farmers can make a profit.

The amount of lobster meat over the past time has been purchased by businesses has been counted by 2-3 cars, weighing from 5-6 tons of lobsters exported to the Chinese market. It is expected that in the coming time, the supply will decrease because the output of lobster meat is no longer abundant and the price of lobster continues to remain stable.

To facilitate the farming and sale of lobsters amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the Khanh Hoa seafood industry recommends that people stock these kinds of seafood at a moderate density instead of at massive. Specifically, farming in a phased manner will stabilize the harvest, help farmers to gain more profit, and avoid overproduction.

According to Vo Khac En, deputy director of Sub - Department of Fisheries of Khanh Hoa, the unit will continue to instruct farmers to raise lobsters in the right manner, making full registration and report to the upper level to ensure the sustainable development of lobster farming. Concurrently, farmers are told to apply the biosafety farming process and the products must have clear traceability. Along with that, it guides farmers to establish cooperative groups or cooperatives to form a chain of links with businesses from supplying inputs to outputs for stable consumption.