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| Tra fish processed for export at a facility belonging to the Go Dang Joint Stock Co in Tien Giang Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Tri |
HCM CITY (Biz Hub)— The tra fish farming area in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta and output fell considerably in February from the same period last year, according to the Directorate of Fisheries.
In Can Tho City, for instance, the area is down 8.57 per cent to 480ha; in Vinh Long Province, it is down 10 per cent to 277ha; and in Dong Thap Province, it is down 4.7 per cent to 989ha. Their output respectively fell by 5.99 per cent, 11.5 per cent, and 0.9 per cent.
The Directorate of Fisheries blamed it on the falling prices of tra, and high cost of fish feed and medicines, and the deterioration in the quality of tra breed stock – and thus the quality of fish farmed.
The price of the fish has fallen to VND22,500-23,000 per kilogramme while the production cost is VND23,000-24,000, the Vinh Long Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said.
Many farmers in Can Tho have switched to raising other kinds of fish like snakehead and featherback.
The tra fish farming area has plunged to 4,679ha now from 5,556ha last year. More than 90 per cent of the country's tra output is exported. —VNS