Ca Mau Province Leads Vietnam in Shrimp Farming for Exports

The southernmost province of Ca Mau is taking the lead in Vietnam in farming shrimp for export, making up as many as 30 per cent and 20 per cent of Vietnam’s total output and export revenues, respectively.

 

In 2005, Ca Mau province’s shrimp farming acreage accounted for 248,000 hectares out of the nearly 280,000 hectares used for aquaculture, and produced 96,000 tons of shrimp. Earnings from shrimp exports contributed more than US$509 million to the province’s total export turnover.

 

The province currently has more than 900 breeding shrimp farms, producing six billion shrimp posts per year on average and meeting 50 per cent of the demand of local shrimp breeders.

 

The provincial fisheries sector has applied many models of shrimp farming, focusing on quality, effectiveness and sustainable development, as well as paying due attention to producing breeding shrimps.

 

Local processing businesses, meanwhile, have continually improved the quality of their products and services by upgrading equipment and applying international standards in production.

 

Ca Mau province is expected to produce around 63,000 tons of shrimp out of some 66,000 tons of aquatic products for export this year.

 

The province also plans to expand its acreage for aquaculture to 282,400 hectares by 2010, including 240,800ha for shrimp farming, which are expected to produce around 138,000 tons of aquatic products worth US$1 billion in export turnover, according to Director of the provincial Fisheries Department, Pham Van Duc.

 

In order to reach the targets, the province will continue upgrading processing technology, ensuring food safety and hygiene and seed more outlets.

 

In 2006, the province will set up two additional breeding shrimp plants and collaborate with other farms in the central region to ensure sufficient supply of high quality breeding shrimp for local farmers.

 

Shrimp farming for export has become a popular commodity production industry in Ca Mau, especially since 2000 when the State encouraged localities to conduct economic restructuring and sell farm produce flexibly.

 

The province has taken full advantage of its interlacing network of rivers and canals as well as its diversified ecological system with abundant food sources for various species of aquatic products.
VNA