Under the plan, MARD will develop catfish farming and processing into a large-scale industry, which meets international standards while protecting the environment.
These products are considered highly competitive and are expected to become one of Viet Nam’s key export earners to raise the national standard of living.
Currently, catfish makes up 2 per cent of GDP, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). In 2008, Vietnam exported 640,829 tonnes of catfish, up 65.6 per cent compared to the previous year’s figure and accounting for 51.8 per cent of the country’s total export output.
