Currently, fish raised in cages in Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces are facing difficulties in output and prices have dropped sharply; meanwhile, feed prices are high and saltwater attacks are causing high losses, causing fishermen to suffer heavy losses.
Currently, the price of red tilapia that fishermen raise in cages in Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces sell for is from 33,000 - 34,000 VND/kg; meanwhile, the cost of raising it is more than 39,000 VND/kg. Not only has the price decreased, but the output is very slow; for fish weighing over 1.2 kg/fish, it is very difficult to consume.
Mr. Mai Huu Tho, a fisherman raising fish in rafts at Thoi Son islet, My Tho city, Tien Giang province, shared: "The price is too low right now, selling 1 kg of fish costs a loss of 7,000 - 8,000 VND. Fish now costs 33,000 VND/kg but the price of feed is up to 450,000 VND/bag, if we sell fish for more than 44,000, we will have enough capital."
Cage fish farming in Con Phung, Ben Tre province
Mr. Nguyen Tan Binh, who raises fish in rafts at the head of Thoi Son islet, also confided: “This year, fish are selling slower than every year because in previous years, restaurants and eateries consumed a large amount of fish brought there. But now, restaurants and eateries are not as busy as before, so the fish are dumped into the market, and the market dumped fish has dropped. The fish went up a few days ago and then dropped again. Now the market price is 34,000 - 35,000 VND/kg, a loss because the capital is up to 40,000 VND/kg. Traders say that the market is deserted, probably due to the economic recession. The price of food has only decreased by 200 VND/kg. Until now, we have not seen any fish loss, but we are afraid that in the third lunar month, when the weather is hot and the salt water is added, the fish will be lost.”
In the floating village near Phung islet, Tan Thach commune, Chau Thanh district, Ben Tre province, there are also cases of fish suffocating due to the increasing salinity of the Tien River combined with the hot weather. When fish first suffocate, they can only be sold for 20,000 VND/kg. If the fish die for a long time and have a bad smell, they can only be used as fertilizer for plants or food for other fish.
Fish rafts at Thoi Son islet, My Tho city, Tien Giang province are falling in price.
Mr. Tran Minh Phong, owner of 20 fish rafts at Con Phung in Tan Vinh hamlet, Tan Thach commune, Chau Thanh district, Ben Tre province said: "In general, fish are decreasing compared to before, the reason is due to salt water and weather. Fish that have just died can be sold, but fish that have been dead for a long time can be fed to other fish. The law of the livestock market is that because the price was too high last time, non-professionals also raised fish, other fish farmers also switched to raising fish, supply exceeded demand too much, now the price has dropped and there are losses."
According to fishermen, the price of fish raised in cages has dropped sharply due to "supply exceeding demand". Recently, the number of fish raised in cages on the Tien River has increased; meanwhile, purchasing power at the markets has decreased.
Traders specialize in collecting dead fish from rafts.
Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces have more than 1,500 fish cages and rafts on the Tien River, mainly raising red tilapia. In the past, red tilapia output was only consumed domestically. The refrain of “good harvest, low price” for fish in cages and rafts also often occurs, causing fishermen to have unstable income, even suffering heavy losses as at present.
According to Nhat Truong/VOV-Mekong Delta
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