Raw material supply for production of dried shrimp and fish has decreased sharply.

Ms. Thach Thi The with dried tra fish products.

The province has 21 establishments producing various types of dried fish registered and licensed by the Department of Fisheries - Quality Management (under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tra Vinh), with an output of 162.19 tons of dried fish/year and 13 establishments producing dried shrimp, with an output of 22.52 tons/year; the production establishments are concentrated in Duyen Hai, Tra Cu and Cau Ngang districts.

Recorded at the dried fish village of Dinh An town and Dinh An commune, Tra Cu district during the days before Tet; in general, establishments and households processing dried fish such as squid, 1-sun-dried mackerel, anchovies, mackerel, yellowstripe scad, stingray, dried shrimp... are urgently preparing input materials as well as investing in processing and handling equipment, tools and drying racks.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc An, a household specializing in trading and processing dried fish of all kinds in Hamlet 3, Dinh An town, shared: because this year the source of fish caught at sea entering the port has decreased, from there, the dried fish processors here are also facing difficulties. For the facility, the main source of dried fish is dried mackerel, dried squid, and one-sun dried yellowstripe scad. On average, the facility supplies the market with about 10 tons of dried fish of all kinds/year; Tet products alone account for about 30%. In addition, the raw material for dried fish has decreased by about 30% and labor costs have also increased by 50,000 VND/day, from 250,000 VND to 300,000 VND/day. Meanwhile, the consumption of dried fish during Tet this year also tends to decrease and the price supplied to customers and wholesalers has increased by about 15%, so the drying of fish here mainly takes home labor to make a profit.

Ms. Thach Thi The, owner of Thanh The dried shrimp and fish production facility, Ben Tranh hamlet, Dinh An commune, said: the facility has been in operation for more than 8 years, the facility's dried products are not only sold in the domestic market but also ordered online by customers living abroad. Every year, the input materials (shrimp, various types of fish) are purchased directly from fishing boats docking at Dinh An fishing port, Tra Cu district, from 25 - 30 tons; including products produced and supplied to the market by the facility such as dried mackerel, 1-sun-dried buffalo tongue fish; dried tra fish, snakehead fish and dried sea shrimp...

According to statistics in Tra Cu district, in 2024, there were 06 establishments producing various types of dried fish, with an output of 83.6 tons/year and dozens of households participating in small-scale dried fish production, with an output of 150-200kg/month; establishments and households producing dried fish are concentrated in Dinh An town, Dai An and Dinh An communes. The main source of dried materials is taken from fishing boats docking at Dinh An fishing port; the source of dried snakehead fish is supplied by local fish farmers.

According to the owner of Thanh The dried shrimp and fish facility, in order for the product to be trusted by customers, it is necessary to first ensure safe input materials, fresh fish, and a processing procedure that complies with the instructions and regulations of the specialized industry; no chemicals are used in the production process. In 2025, the facility is focusing on developing dried mullet and mackerel products to register for OCOP.

With the seasoned shrimp product of Nguyen Thi Truc Phuong business household (Khuc Ngay hamlet, Hiep My Dong commune) being recognized as a 3-star OCOP product (in 2023), in 2024, there will be 2 more products recognized by the District People's Committee as 3-star OCOP products, which are instant salted and chili dried shrimp and instant satay dried shrimp, which have significantly contributed to increasing the value of black tiger shrimp raised in coastal communes of Cau Ngang district.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Truc Phuong, in the last months of 2024, the price of black tiger shrimp increased quite high compared to mid-2024, from 140,000 VND/kg to 185,000 - 190,000 VND/kg, which is also a difficulty for households and drying facilities. Families producing dried shrimp also face difficulties in selling prices (an increase of about 30% compared to early 2024); currently, on average, families produce and supply about 100 - 150 kg of dried shrimp of all kinds/month (equivalent to 0.7 - 01 ton of fresh shrimp/month).

Article and photos: HUU HUE

Source: https://www.baotravinh.vn/thuong-mai-dich-vu/nguon-nguyen-lieu-cung-ung-san-xuat-tom-ca-kho-giam-manh-42195.html