Fish sauce "made in Da Nang"

Overcoming numerous challenges, the traditional fish sauce making industry in the city has affirmed its quality, built its brand, increased its competitiveness in the market, and is aiming for export.

Authorities believe that fish sauce producers in the area need to improve quality while simultaneously promoting trade and anticipating market trends. Photo: QUANG VIET

Facing many difficulties

Almost every fishing-prone locality in Da Nang has a tradition of making fish sauce. However, this craft is declining and becoming less common in many places.

The saying "fish sauce in March, chicken in July" was once famous for Binh Minh fish sauce (Thang An commune), but now it only remains in memory. Binh Minh fish sauce, or "March fish sauce," is made from anchovies, harvested by coastal fishermen in March, and is rich in nutrients and has a delicious, sweet aroma.

Previously, fishermen could catch tons of anchovies on each fishing trip in the coastal area of ​​Cu Lao Cham (Tan Hiep island commune), but now this type of seafood is very rare. Without this distinctive raw material, the fish sauce making industry in Binh Minh, with dozens of production facilities, has gradually declined and switched to other professions.

The biggest challenge facing Da Nang's traditional fish sauce industry today is its high production cost. While the price of raw fish is increasing, traditional fish sauce production facilities in Ha Quang village (Dien Ban Dong ward) still maintain old, manual production methods, resulting in material waste and low productivity. Therefore, traditional Ha Quang fish sauce cannot compete on price with industrially produced fish sauce on the market.

Many fish sauce processing facilities in Da Nang are small-scale, limited in scope, and lack dynamism in responding to market changes. They particularly lack connections with fishermen for production and with businesses to optimize operations. As production, preservation, transportation, and distribution processes increase, the resulting low production and business efficiency is easily predictable. Consequently, many traditional fish sauce villages in the area have ceased to exist.

The reality is that not many products from traditional fish sauce producers are available in supermarkets and large shopping malls. Many producers struggle to find outlets for their fish sauce but lack a connection between supply and demand. Most traditional fish sauce producers sell their products through markets and long-standing business relationships, paying little attention to e-commerce platforms.

Mr. Dinh Van Phuc, Deputy Director of the Center for Industrial Promotion and Trade Promotion (Department of Industry and Trade of the city), believes that traditional fish sauce production facilities need to boldly apply new techniques and technologies to reduce costs, increase productivity and output, ensure food safety, and connect with trade, promote trade, advertise fish sauce products, and anticipate market trends.

Brand affirmation

Despite facing numerous challenges, the traditional fish sauce making industry has strived to improve, affirming product quality, enhancing its competitive position, capturing the domestic market, and seeking opportunities for export.

Mr. Lam Huu Tai and the Tu Tai fish sauce production facility, a 3-star OCOP product. Photo: QUANG VIET

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam, owner of the Tam Tuoi fish sauce production facility (Cua Khe village, Thang An commune), believes that the key factor determining the quality of her facility's fish sauce is marinating anchovies with salt in a 1:1 ratio, then fermenting them in wooden barrels. After one year, the fish sauce has a naturally delicious aroma and flavor.

This Tet season, Tam Tuoi's facility is producing 1,000 liters of pure fish sauce to supply the nationwide market. Recognized as a 3-star OCOP product, Tam Tuoi fish sauce maintains a clean production process, ensuring food safety standards. "I preserve the brand of the traditional craft village because of the pride in the saying 'Cua Khe fish sauce is the best, An Phu tea is second best'," said Mrs. Tam.

The Tu Tai fish sauce production facility (Thanh Tam village, Hoi An Dong ward) has achieved OCOP 3-star certification, and its products are available throughout provinces and cities nationwide. Mr. Lam Huu Tai, the owner of the facility, said that the raw material for producing fish sauce is anchovies caught in the Cua Dai sea area. The anchovies are fermented with salt for exactly 12 months before being extracted, bottled, and labeled as fish sauce.

Mr. Tài does not use preservatives or artificial flavorings. To reduce labor, he invented a pulley system for transporting the fish sauce and invested in a pumping system to transfer the sauce from one tank to another. Through supply-demand connection programs and trade promotion, Tư Tài fish sauce was widely advertised, quickly gaining the trust and favor of customers. From that foundation, Mr. Tài improved his capacity and expanded production and business.

"I've been approached by many distributors to export fish sauce to Asian and European markets, especially the more demanding ones. My concern is having to fulfill orders for many years in a row, so I need to proactively secure raw materials, factories, ensure clean production, and comply with the regulations of importing countries… only then can I expand my fish sauce market internationally," Mr. Tai said.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Xuan Vui, Head of the Economic , Infrastructure and Urban Planning Department of Hoi An Dong Ward, participating in the OCOP program has provided traditional fish sauce production facilities with the support and assistance of various levels and sectors, making it easier for them to complete procedures and paperwork.

Thanks to the strict OCOP criteria, fish sauce products that meet the standards have stood out and their quality has improved over the years. To further enhance fish sauce quality, establishments need to apply Industry 4.0 technology, digital transformation, and collaborate with associations to acquire useful knowledge for production, business, and especially for promoting fish sauce exports.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Tien, Director of the Trade Promotion Center ( Ministry of Agriculture and Environment ), believes that in order for Da Nang's established fish sauce products to penetrate the global market, relevant agencies and associations in the city need to support businesses in participating in international e-commerce platforms (Amazon, Alibaba, Etsy), international trade fairs and exhibitions, thereby connecting and developing export markets for fish sauce.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/nuoc-mam-made-in-da-nang-3321526.html