Promoting brackish and saltwater tilapia farming

To create a breakthrough for the tilapia industry, a 'chief architect' is needed to guide overall development.

Mr. Nhu Van Can, Deputy Director of the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Control ( Ministry of Agriculture and Environment ) said: “Tilapia is a fish with great potential, but for a long time it has not developed commensurate with expectations. The biggest bottlenecks today lie in the market and trade competition - factors with many implications that need to be fundamentally resolved.”

Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, member of the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fisheries Association, said that for the Vietnamese tilapia industry to make a breakthrough, there is still a lot of work to be done. Photo: Hong Tham .

Mr. Can gave an example, to produce competitively, we must first lower costs. To do so, it is necessary to develop large-scale production, apply technology, optimize input materials and many other factors to reduce costs. However, with these issues, Vietnam is under great competitive pressure from countries with similar natural conditions and advantages.

Another weakness is that our tilapia industry is still fragmented, and has not yet formed large-scale commodity production areas to ensure stability in output and quality. This dispersion makes it difficult to organize the supply chain and access the market.

Furthermore, market development work still has many limitations. The diversification of processed products, as well as skills and techniques in approaching, promoting and bringing products to the market, especially the export market, have not been implemented as effectively as expected, Mr. Can added.

For the Vietnamese tilapia industry to make a breakthrough , Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, member of the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fisheries Association, said: "There is still a lot of work to do. In all stages, breeds, feed, markets... there are still many problems."

Mr. Tuan analyzed that, in terms of breeds, we currently have a fairly good source of breeds, but there are still two issues that need to be resolved. First, we must proactively produce domestically to reduce dependence on imports. Second, we must continue to improve the quality of breeds to meet the requirements of commercial farming.

"In addition, Vietnam's tilapia production is still behind many countries, so if we want to make a difference, we need to promote tilapia farming in brackish and salty water environments. Obviously, to do this, it is necessary to develop breeds, creating a separate breed that is dominant in brackish and salty water areas," Mr. Tuan emphasized.

Regarding feed, currently feed costs account for a very large proportion, 60-65% of total farming costs. To reduce this burden, there are two important directions. First, if good breed sources are available, feed conversion efficiency will be higher, helping to reduce costs. Second, it is necessary to build a reasonable farming system, apply technology and management processes to optimize the amount of feed used.

To create a unique identity for Vietnamese tilapia, it is necessary to promote the development of tilapia farming models in brackish and salty water environments. Photo: Hong Tham.

As for the market, there are two key factors. As a latecomer, we cannot compete only on price but need to create unique products with Vietnamese characteristics, which can be high-quality tilapia raised in brackish or salty water or aiming for products that reduce emissions and ensure animal welfare to meet new consumption trends.

Besides, market information plays a particularly important role, helping the industry avoid repeating the "mistakes" between supply and demand, while at the same time orienting sustainable production in line with actual needs.

Mr. Tuan emphasized: “These issues force us to implement synchronously. If we only consider this as a 'golden opportunity' and people rush to raise it, while the market has not yet balanced supply and demand, it will easily lead to a situation where output increases sharply but the consequences of failure are not small.”

“In short, to create a breakthrough for the tilapia industry, there needs to be a ‘chief architect’ to guide overall development. Each stage – from breed, feed, farming technology, processing to market – must have a responsible person and a clear roadmap. Only then can this industry develop sustainably and bring about real results,” Mr. Tuan emphasized.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/thuc-day-nuoi-ro-phi-nuoc-lo-man-d783025.html