A farmer is feeding tra fish. Tra fish price is forecast to be more stable in the second half of this year. — Photo laodong.com

After skyrocketing to 10-year highs in April, tra fish price has shown signs of cooling down and is forecast to be more stable in the second half of this year.

According to the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the price of raw tra fish in the Cửu Long (Mekong) River Delta is currently fluctuating at some VND25,000-26,500 (US$1.2) per kg, from a high of VND29,000 in April.

However, it was VND2,500-3,000 per kg higher than the same period last year.

In the second half of this year, the increase in harvested fish and tra fish breeds will make up for the shortage, pushing down the price.

According to a report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, tra fish price in the region witnessed a significant rise from the beginning of this year due to a severe shortage in tra fish breeds and decrease in farming area.

Statistics showed that tra fish farming area in Mekong River Delta region dropped by 16 per cent to 2,705ha in the January-March period, along with a 1.5 per cent decrease in output to 247,600 tonnes.

The decrease occurred due to a severe shortage in tra fish breeds for the 2017 crop because many breed farms stopped production following a slump in price at the end of 2016. In February, tra fish breed price tripled to touch VND40,000 per kg.

At present, the supply of tra fish breeds has improved significantly and the price is more stable. — VNS