Increased science and technology research and application has helped the Vietnamese seafood industry robustly develop. If such technology transfers continue, seafood exports will likely to reach an anticipated US$8 billion in 2020.
From selecting breeds
Dr. Pham Anh Tuan, the deputy head of the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that domestic aquaculture has developed remarkably and that aquacultural output increased an average of 15 percent annually in recent years. There are about 1.1 million ha of aquacultural farms in Vietnam producing almost 2.8 million tonnes of seafood, generating US$4.94 billion in export revenue in 2010. Science and technology have contributed importantly to the achievements in the aquacultural sector.
Recent research on seafood technology have improved focusing on increasing the quality of seafood breeds such as a second generation of Tra fish, which grows 13 percent faster than the first generation, production of parent Black Tiger shrimp to reduce reliance on naturally-grown and imported parent shrimp, and application of Androgenic microsurgery technology for production of blue-clawed male shrimp, which grows rapidly.
Several pieces of research on improving the quality of seafood breeds and farming technology in Vietnam have reached and even exceeded the regional level. For example, Tra fish production has yielded 150-400 tonnes per ha (averaging 200 tonnes per ha) making Vietnam the only country in the world to raise fish at a high productivity in large ponds. Vietnam and India have led in applying the technology for mass production of blue-clawed male shrimp and white-clawed crayfish with a productivity of 20-25 tonnes per ha per crop, as much as in China and Thailand.
Despite that, Tuan said that the aquacultural technology applied in Vietnam has faced several barriers, regarding scattered farming, inadequate infrastructure and high water consumption. Few farming areas meet the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standard. High risk of pandemics and excessive production costs has resulted in low production efficiency. Preserving pure original breeds of shrimp is important for improving the quality of seafood varieties. Research on feed and vaccines is lacking, regarding the level of research and application in production.
Clean production
The seafood industry will try to produce 6.5 million tonnes of seafood, turn over US$8 billion in seafood exports, and make itself a large internationally-competitive production sector in 2020.
Fishery experts said that the Vietnamese seafood sector should be able to turn over US$8 billion from exports in 2020 if it works on planning seafood farming areas, transferring technology, comprehensively investing in the irrigation system, controlling and applying new breeds, managing environmental standards, modifying production to comply with good practice, and predicting the future.
Tuan said that with a more than 3,200km coastline, Vietnam had great potential for marine aquaculture. For this reason, it is very necessary to survey the market to clarify the right breeds and the right technology for marine aquaculture. As for potential fish varieties such as Black King fish and sea bass, preparatory research is needed to facilitate the improvement of breed quality. Clean, complete and water-efficient breeding systems should be put in place.
In addition, it is important to devise directions for feed technology research, and mechanisms for management of seafood quality and the price of feed. At this time, feed makes up 70 percent of the production cost of raised seafood. However, feed purchase relies greatly on foreign companies, and once the price of feed increases, profit from aquaculture will drop.
Consumers have a growing need for clean, safe and high standard seafood. For this reason, it is vital to develop GAP-standard aquaculture in all farming areas, Tuan said.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Huu Dung, the deputy chairman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said that the Vietnamese seafood industry planning projects emphasize quality and productivity of seafood while state management is weak and state investment in technical infrastructure is modest. He said that once the country places great importance on growth in figures, challenges for it will be much bigger than the achievements.
Nguyen Huu Dung said that the industry should pay more attention to the linkages between farmers, producers and exporters and to improving the quality, safety and hygiene of seafood to raise the value of seafood and the position of the Vietnamese seafood industry./.
http://ven.vn/technology-aids-seafood-target-attainment_t77c193n22661tn.aspx
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