Ms. Kim Loan introduces dried snakehead fish products. Photo: KIM CHAU
Ms. Loan recounted: “From 2011, my husband and I raised snakehead fish in two tanks for commercial sale, increasing to 10 tanks in 2015. When the market for commercial fish faced difficulties, I started thinking about a new direction. From the first batches of dried fish we made as a trial to give to relatives and friends, the product received many compliments, which further motivated me to gradually perfect the processing technique.”
Starting from a small-scale operation, Kim Loan's dried snakehead fish has gradually gained a foothold in the market, receiving food safety and hygiene certifications, intellectual property registration, traceability codes, and widespread promotion through OCOP fairs and forums both within and outside the province. Ms. Loan actively registered trademarks and barcodes, built websites and fan pages to promote her products. In 2020, the product was recognized as meeting OCOP standards; and in 2024, it continued to receive the title of typical rural industrial product in the Southern region.
Not stopping at just whole dried fish, Ms. Loan diversified her products according to market demand, from dried fish dried according to the degree of sun exposure to different parts of the snakehead fish. Almost the entire fish is utilized, both increasing economic value and reducing waste in production. The price of dried snakehead fish ranges from 200,000 to 350,000 VND/kg. "I even sell the fish scales; the by-products are sold to catfish, tilapia, and other fish farmers who buy them to grind up and feed their fish," Ms. Loan shared.
The dried fish is air-dried in a drying house. Photo: KIM CHAU
Besides raising its own fish, the facility also purchases about 30 tons of snakehead fish from local farmers each month, contributing to a stable market for the households. Production is bustling every day, creating regular jobs for local workers, especially during peak season. On average, the facility processes 500-600 kg of raw fish per day. 4.2-4.5 kg of raw fish yields 1 kg of dried fish. “The facility’s revenue ranges from 30-50 million VND per month. At the same time, it provides employment for 5-7 regular workers and 15 seasonal workers. The average salary is about 3-7 million VND per month, contributing to improving the lives of the workers,” Ms. Loan said.
Thanks to its distinctive flavor, Kim Loan dried snakehead fish is distributed through various channels, from agricultural product stores, supermarkets, and e-commerce platforms to tourists and overseas Vietnamese. For many, it's not just a familiar dish but also a gift that embodies the spirit of An Giang province during holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year). "My family often buys and gives this specialty as gifts; sometimes we pack it in boxes and send it to Hanoi," shared Ms. Minh Hieu, a resident of Binh Duc ward. Many safe agricultural product stores in Long Xuyen have also become major distributors for the product.
Looking back on her journey, Ms. Loan expressed: “From the humble snakehead fish of our hometown, we have successfully built a brand. This is the motivation for our business to thrive and promote our local products.” As we parted ways, I still vividly remember her heartfelt words: “We hope to create products that tourists will choose to buy as gifts when they visit An Giang ; and that people from An Giang will prioritize bringing along as presents wherever they go.”
The story of Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Loan shows that elevating local specialties is also a viable solution to open up sustainable economic development for rural people. More importantly, each piece of dried snakehead fish embodies the pride of the homeland, so that the flavors of An Giang's land and people accompany tourists far away, and are then remembered and sought after again.
KIM CHAU
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/ca-loc-mien-que-thanh-ocop-3-sao-a472872.html
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