The news heartens up all farmers, businesses and exporters of tra and basa catfish after the many ups and downs of prices as well as the lawsuit filed by US catfish farmers.
Overcoming all difficulties and barriers, Vietnam's output of tra and basa catfish has recorded high growth rates over the past ten years, increasing from 22,000 tonnes in 1997 to 800,000 tonnes in 2006.
Vietnam's tra and basa catfish are sold in 65 countries and territories in the world. The major markets include the European Union, which represents 46.9% of Vietnam's export volume; Russia, 11%; and the US, 9.8%.
With such high growth rates of catfish exports, Vietnam pins high hopes on an export volume of 1 million tonnes catfish for 2007 to prolong the list of Ú $1 billion earners, said Ngo Phuoc Hau, Chairman of the Mekong Fresh Fish Committee under the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP).
Source: Nhan Dan
Vietnamese tra and basa catfish change world consumer habits
VIET NAM - The Fisheries Ministry has quoted the Fisheries Information System (FIS) as saying that tra and basa catfish from Vietnam together with tuna and tilapia have created changes in Americans' and Europeans' consumer habits.