Linking pangasius farming helps escape poverty in An Giang

The linkage model between households, cooperatives and enterprises is helping many families in An Giang stabilize their income and increase the export value of the tra fish industry.

People harvest commercial tra fish, a standard source of raw materials supplied to export processing factories in An Giang . Photo: Le Hoang Vu.

Linking tra fish farming from tradition to sustainable value chain

In the agricultural picture of An Giang, pangasius farming plays a pivotal role in the fisheries economy and is the livelihood that helps thousands of households escape poverty. In recent years, the formation of a chain of linkages from farming households to cooperatives and enterprises has created an important shift, taking advantage of abundant freshwater resources, gradually building a modern and sustainable production chain.

An Giang is blessed with a rich river system and is the freshwater source of the Mekong Delta. This is also the locality with the most developed tra fish industry in the Mekong Delta. The whole province currently has 18 enterprises and 23 tra fish processing factories with a capacity of more than 350,000 tons per year, supplying products to more than 70 countries. Thanks to that, tra fish has become a major contributor to seafood export turnover, bringing in billions of USD in revenue for the region.

Despite significant achievements, pangasius farmers still face many challenges. High prices of feed and fingerlings, high production costs and fluctuating selling prices make profits unstable. In this context, the linkage model between farming households, cooperatives and enterprises has become an important solution to stabilize output, reduce risks and increase income.

People change their lives thanks to participating in the chain

In Binh Duc commune, Mr. Nguyen Van Thang has been involved in pangasius farming for more than 10 years. He shared: “In the past, I raised fish on a small scale, each doing it on their own, so there were big risks. Since joining the cooperative and businesses, I have been supported with breeds, techniques, stable output, and profits are about 20-25% higher than before. My family now has a stable life, and has invested in new ponds to expand production.”

People in Binh Duc commune, An Giang province feed tra fish in a joint pond, applying technical processes to help the fish grow evenly and reduce production costs. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.

Not only Mr. Thang’s family, but also hundreds of households in the area have improved their lives thanks to joining the association. Many families who previously only had enough to cover their living expenses now have savings, their children are fully educated and have the conditions to reinvest in production.

According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Nguyen, Director of the Chau Phu Commune Pangasius Farming Cooperative (An Giang), the locality currently has 18 households participating in production according to the chain. Cooperation with enterprises not only helps stabilize prices but also changes production thinking. If in the past people mainly worked based on experience, now they have approached the farming process according to international standards such as VietGAP, ASC and GlobalGAP. Enterprises supply breeds, feed, technical support and purchase all products, so the quality of fish is stable, meeting the needs of demanding markets such as the US and Europe.

Currently, An Giang has dozens of effective cooperatives and cooperative groups for raising tra fish, with more than 1,200 hectares of farming areas meeting international standards. This is an important foundation for building a sustainable value chain and minimizing risks for farmers.

Members of Chau Phu Pangasius Cooperative prepare feed for the pond – a linkage model that helps farmers stabilize output and increase profits. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.

Enterprises accompany the development of farming areas

As one of the leading enterprises in the pangasius industry, Nam Viet Group owns more than 400 hectares of farming area and creates jobs for nearly 7,000 local workers. The enterprise's export turnover reaches over 30 million USD per year, contributing significantly to the province's total export value.

Mr. Doan Toi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nam Viet Group, said that sustainable development of the pangasius industry requires close cooperation between farmers, scientists , businesses and the government. Businesses regularly support farmers with techniques, environmental management technology and disease control to improve productivity, reduce costs and ensure product quality.

According to Mr. Toi, An Giang has a rich aquatic ecosystem, capable of developing freshwater, brackish water and saltwater farming. Among them, tra fish is still an industry with outstanding advantages. He commented that when the links in the chain are strengthened, An Giang can completely become the aquatic center of the whole country.

Processing and grading pangasius at a modern factory in An Giang, to bring the product to international export standards. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.

Orientation of development of green pangasius and circulation

Mr. Tran Thanh Hiep, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of An Giang province, said that the province maintains more than 1,600 hectares of pangasius farming area for export each year. The current development orientation is to apply green, circular and modern production models. People are encouraged to cooperate with businesses to apply new technologies, especially water treatment, environmental management and the use of biological feed to reduce production costs and increase economic efficiency.

An Giang currently has many farming areas that meet ASC, BAP and GlobalGAP standards. The processing plant system is constantly being upgraded to meet the requirements of demanding markets such as the US, Europe and Japan. In the coming time, the province will continue to invest in infrastructure for concentrated farming areas, attracting businesses to participate in a closed chain from breeding, feed, processing to export.

Chairman of the People’s Committee of An Giang province, Mr. Ho Van Mung affirmed that aquaculture is one of the key economic sectors of the locality. The province aims to develop the tra fish industry in a sustainable manner, ensuring international standards and increasing income for people in rural areas.

By promoting production linkages, the An Giang pangasius industry not only helps thousands of households escape poverty but also consolidates its position as the leading pangasius exporter in the Mekong Delta, creating an important foundation for long-term local economic development.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/lien-ket-nuoi-ca-tra-giup-thoat-ngheo-o-an-giang-d786808.html