The Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau is set to take a series of measures to achieve its goal of earning US$1.2 billion from export seafood this year. — VNA/VNS Photo

The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Ca Mau is working hard to support local seafood businesses and achieve the year’s seafood export target of US$1.2 billion.

The province People’s Committee will take measures to improve the investment and business environment, and push ahead with a project to ensure sustainable development of the shrimp industry.

It will offer incentives to encourage the use of advanced techniques in farming and aquaculture and clean processing technologies to improve output and quality.

Chairman of the People's Committee, Nguyen Tien Hai, has instructed relevant authorities to keep a close watch on the situation and update local enterprises to help them proactively make business plans.

The province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has been tasked with training farmers in aquaculture and ensuring availability of raw materials for seafood processing companies.

Ca Mau’s centre for investment promotion and business support plans to step up trade stimulation and help firms find new partners for exports and enhance their competitiveness.

The Ca Mau seafood exporters and producers association offers its members prompt market updates and urges them to join hands for export to strengthen their bargaining power.

According to the province Department of Industry and Trade, the newly ratified European Union-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) will help Viet Nam expand shrimp exports to Europe.

Local export enterprises should strive to tap opportunities brought by the agreement to increase their exports of shrimp and other key products, it said.

It also urged them to focus on the Chinese and Japanese markets where demand has begun to recover, and closely monitor other markets to take timely steps to boost exports.

The province plans to raise shrimp output by 8 per cent this year to around 210,000 tonnes, with 200,000 tonnes being farmed and the rest caught at sea.

Ca Mau hopes these measures will help mitigate the losses caused by the pandemic, retain its markets and help farmers stabilise their activities.

Ca Mau has around 300,000ha under aquaculture, the largest area in Viet Nam.

Its annual earnings from fisheries exports are nearly $1.2 billion on average. — VNS