Prospects for seafood processing and export market

Currently, the seafood processing and export industry is identified by Binh Thuan province as a key industry, contributing significantly to the province's export turnover. Compared to previous years, seafood processing and export establishments and enterprises in the province have focused on investing, modernizing technology, improving productivity, quality and efficiency of seafood processing.

Diversify export products

As one of the three major fishing grounds in the country, the seafood resources are rich and diverse in types, and the exploited output increases annually (in 2023, the exploited seafood output reached 235,277.9 tons, an increase of 26.1% compared to 2013). Over time, the province's aquaculture has also been transformed from small-scale, backward to intensive, industrial, and high-yield. With an annual aquaculture output of 11,000 - 12,000 tons, it has created conditions for the development of the province's seafood processing industry.

As one of the three largest fishing grounds in the country, seafood resources are abundant and diverse in species.

In the past 10 years, the number of seafood processing enterprises for export in the province has increased from 12 to 31. Most of these enterprises have invested in mechanization, modernized production equipment, and promoted the production of high value-added products such as canned food, sushi, sashimi, surimi - fish cakes, squid - fish fillets of all kinds, octopus, fan-shaped scallops... As for dried products, there are high-quality skinless dried squid, yellowstripe scad, seasoned dried octopus, dried anchovies, dried shrimp, seasoned mackerel, etc. These are all branded seafood export products of Binh Thuan, meeting the increasingly high demands of the market. Most seafood processing enterprises in the province are certified to meet food safety conditions, are certified and apply the HACCP quality management program, BRC standards... Compared to 2013, the output of processed (frozen) seafood in 2023 increased by 12.54%, fish sauce output increased by 28.24%; the number of HACCP certified establishments increased by 170%.

Enterprises have invested in mechanization, modernized production equipment, and promoted the production of products with high added value.

Not only that, up to now, the whole province has successfully built and connected 46 chains with safe product output, controlling more than 58,000 tons/year (of which, fish sauce, fish sauce products 20 chains with output of 22.015 million liters/year and shrimp paste, shrimp paste products 100 tons/year; frozen 8 chains with controlled output of 25,000 tons/year, dried 13 chains with controlled output of more than 5,000 tons/year and 5 other chains with controlled output of 5,060 tons/year). In particular, in 2023, the agricultural sector has supported the construction of 3 chains: Safe fish cake supply chain; Safe agricultural product supply chain and pilot model of linking production and consumption of dried seafood according to the value chain in La Gi town, with controlled output of about 250 tons and 50,000 liters of fermented fruit juice...

Most seafood processing enterprises in the province are certified to meet food safety conditions.

Developing consumer markets

To achieve these results, according to Ms. Ngo Minh Uyen Thao - Head of the Binh Thuan Department of Agricultural and Forestry Quality Management, currently agricultural and forestry products, especially aquatic products, are increasingly abundant and diverse, with good domestic consumption. In recent years, the agricultural sector has had many measures to support establishments in market development such as regular market information, supply and demand forecasts, scale and characteristics of each market so that establishments and enterprises can adjust production accordingly. In addition, promoting trade promotion, guiding establishments and enterprises to register for product protection, geographical indication protection, building brands and trademarks for aquatic products; supporting certification of typical rural agricultural products. In addition, establishing groups to connect establishments/enterprises with demand for product supply and consumption. On the other hand, the Department of Agriculture also coordinated with the Department of Industry and Trade of Binh Thuan to introduce enterprises and establishments producing and trading aquatic products of the province to participate in the Conference on connecting trade within and outside the province... Thanks to that, aquatic products consumed domestically are increasingly improved, not only in markets and large supermarket systems across the country, but also using e-commerce platforms and social networks to sell products, bringing high economic efficiency. As for exported aquatic products, up to now, they have reached all continents in the world, including major markets such as: EU, Korea, Japan, USA, Africa, Middle East, ASEAN...

There needs to be a policy mechanism to attract investment and develop seafood processing.

In order for the seafood export market to become increasingly sustainable, in addition to the internal strength of enterprises, in the coming time, the functional sector needs to have a policy mechanism to attract investment and develop seafood processing. Invest in completing infrastructure, modernizing technology, improving productivity, quality, and improving the efficiency of seafood processing. At the same time, encourage businesses to invest in new technologies for fine processing and deep processing of seafood products to increase the proportion of products with added value in the structure of processed products. Diversify the supply of raw materials (including seafood from exploitation, aquaculture and imported seafood materials) for seafood processing to meet the needs and processing capacity in the province according to the needs of the domestic market and export...

Typical seafood products of Binh Thuan.

In addition to the old export markets, it is necessary to focus trade promotion resources on other potential markets. Maintain a reasonable export structure between markets to reduce pressure on one market and create flexible changes in export activities. At the same time, promote domestic trade promotion activities for key aquatic products, new products, value-added products to distributors, supermarket systems Co. opmart, Lotte mart, VinMart... and consumers. Pay attention to investing in improving product quality and design to serve the needs of both local people and tourists.

The province currently has about 370 establishments purchasing, processing, and processing fresh and frozen seafood and about 200 establishments producing and trading fish sauce. In 2023, seafood export turnover will reach 214.77 million USD, an increase of 129.7% compared to 2013 (2013 reached 93.5 million USD).

MINH VAN, PHOTO: N. LAN

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/ky-niem-65-nam-ngay-truyen-thong-nganh-thuy-san-trien-vong-cho-thi-truong-che-bien-xuat-khau-thuy-san-117560.html