The focus of the tour will be to learn as much as possible about Vietnam’s aquaculture and fisheries processing industries, and how the country handles its trade relations, said U Han Tun, executive vice-president of MFF.
Throughout the trip the delegation will study Vietnam’s yellowtail catfish, prawn farms and other fisheries operations, he said.
Vietnam is able to grow between 80,000 and 140,000 yellowtail catfish per acre in ponds 11 feet (3.3 metres) deep, he said, adding that the delegation is hoping to learn how to reproduce those numbers here.
At present Myanmar farms only about 5000 fish, each weighing about 1 viss (1 viss is 1.6 kilograms or 3.6 pounds), per acre.
“Our farms here are only able to produce around 5000 viss per acre and we need to study how companies in Vietnam dig their ponds and manage their operations to produce such huge numbers of fish.
“We’re also investigating if the Vietnamese side would like to engage in some joint ventures here,” Mr Tun said.
The tour will help Myanmar’s delegation to learn how Vietnam has boosted its industry from only 10 factories in the 1980s to more than 400 now, with at least 32 landing sites.
“We should also see how people farm spiny mud lobster, grouper, mrigal and snakehead murrel,” he said, adding that the team will also study fisheries management and problem solving.
U Than Lwin, chairman of the Myanmar Fish Farmers Association said a number of fish farmers would also be participating in the tour.
He pointed to other factors that hinder overall development that are beyond the reach of exporters and farmers to solve alone. Instead, a group effort was required.
“For example, for fish bred in rural areas we need to have freezers present to guarantee that those fish reach centres like Yangon fresh. The same is true for transporting live freshwater fish to Yangon – we need to ensure that fresh, clean water is available all the way to Yangon,” he said.
Vietnam and Myanmar began fisheries investment talks in September 2009.
Vietnam To Educate On Aquaculture
VIET NAM - Fifteen fisheries officials from the Department of Fisheries and Myanmar Fisheries Federation (MFF) will depart on a month-long study tour to Vietnam that will run from 10 November to 12 December.
