The problem of losses in the catfish industry.

Competition in the export market is becoming increasingly fierce. Therefore, reducing production losses, improving quality, and efficiently utilizing by-products are considered key directions for increasing the value and achieving sustainable development of the pangasius industry.

Processing pangasius for export at Nam Viet Joint Stock Company. Photo: HANH CHAU

When discussing the pangasius industry, many people often talk about production volume, productivity, or export value. However, behind those growth figures, there remains a less-noticed "gap": the losses throughout the entire value chain of the industry.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Vo Tat Thang - Director of the Institute for Agricultural Policy and Health Research, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, losses are not simply the loss of a portion of the product. They also represent the waste of feed, breeding stock, labor, product quality, and even the loss of competitive advantage throughout the entire value chain. Reducing losses would not only increase economic efficiency but also improve people's livelihoods, reduce environmental pressure, and promote more sustainable development in the pangasius industry.

Based on this reality, the Institute for Agricultural Policy and Health Research, in collaboration with relevant units, is implementing a research project titled "Food Losses in the Catfish (Pangasius) Value Chain in the Mekong River Basin." Ms. Trinh Thi Lan, a lecturer in the Fisheries Department at An Giang University and the project coordinator in Vietnam, stated that the project focuses on surveying key areas of the pangasius industry chain, particularly An Giang and Vinh Long provinces.

Preliminary research results show that losses are occurring at almost all stages of the production chain. According to Master Vo Van Oc from An Giang University, losses occur from the stages of breeding, rearing, commercial farming to harvesting, transportation, processing, and distribution. Notably, in the production stage, technical efficiency is low, with actual losses during farming reaching 30-50%. The causes stem from many factors such as unstable quality of breeding stock, fluctuating farming environment, and inconsistent management techniques. In many cases, the fish mortality rate can reach 80%, causing significant losses for farmers.

Moreover, bacterial diseases have caused many pangasius farmers to suffer losses. Increased investment costs coupled with unstable productivity and output quality have led to shrinking profits. However, the biggest source of losses lies in the processing stage. According to research, producing 1 kg of finished pangasius fillet requires approximately 2.8 kg of raw fish. This means that by-products and losses account for about 65% if not utilized for further processing. Currently, businesses still waste about 50% of by-products annually, equivalent to 276,000 tons that are not effectively utilized. This is not just a matter of raw material loss, but also reflects the challenge of added value and the potential for transforming the growth model of the pangasius industry.

Dr. Nguyen Van Nguyen, Director of the APOTEC Center at the Vietnam Academy of Fisheries Science, stated that the Vietnamese pangasius industry has developed strongly over the past two decades and has become one of the key export sectors of freshwater aquatic products. By 2025, the total pangasius farming area nationwide is expected to reach approximately 5,500 hectares, with a production of about 1.74 million tons and export revenue exceeding US$2.2 billion. Alongside this growth rate comes a significant amount of by-products, estimated at 700,000-900,000 tons per year.

Dr. Nguyen Van Nguyen assessed: “If exploited in the right direction, this will be a high-value raw material serving many different fields. By-products such as heads, bones, skin, fat, internal organs, or scraps of pangasius fish can all become raw materials for the food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, animal feed, or organic agriculture industries. This shows that the inevitable direction for the pangasius industry is no longer simply chasing production volume, but must shift to improving quality, deep processing, and developing according to a circular economy model.”

Based on the research findings, many experts suggest the need for a comprehensive implementation of solutions ranging from technology and management to market linkages and support policies. Specifically, businesses should boldly invest in advanced processing technologies, upgrade cold storage systems, develop a skilled workforce, and gradually build sustainable production models. In particular, investing in technology to extract collagen, fish oil, or fish meal from by-products will help transform previously "lost" resources into higher value-added products.

According to Nguyen Hoang Huy, Deputy Head of the An Giang Fisheries and Fisheries Inspection Department, Vietnam has identified pangasius as a key national product and has developed a long-term development plan until 2045 with many synchronized solutions. Research results on losses in the value chain will be an important basis for the fisheries sector to apply to practical management and development in the future.

HANH CHAU

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/bai-toan-that-thoat-cua-nganh-ca-tra-a486522.html