The social and environmental impact of pangasius farming should be taken into account to develop a sustainable model for the Mekong Delta.
Features of such a model were highlighted at a seminar organised by the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ).
Jan Kranghand, senior Department Manager of the METRO Group Buying International, said that a proper model would cover hatchery selection, farming and harvesting.
For instance, farmers should choose parent fish that are over three years old. The average pond size should be 8,000sq.m and average density about 35-40 fish per square metre. The best time for harvesting is 6-7 months.
Pangasius farming is one of the fattest growing types of aquaculture in the world.
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers said the country has more than 9,000 ha for breeding pangasius with annual production increasing by 20 percent to 30 percent over the last few years.
Vietnam’s main production areas of pangasius are located in the Mekong Delta provinces of An Giang, Can Tho, Dong Thap, Vinh Long, Soc Trang and Hau Giang.
According to the website www.worldpangasius.com, fish exports from Vietnam to the European Union countries in seven months of last year accounted for 39.4 percent of the total output, including 14.1 percent in Russia, 8.7 percent in Ukraine, 6.1 percent in other ASEAN nations, and 5.7 percent in the United States.
Nguyen Van Hao of the Aquaculture Research Institute under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that pangasius farms in the Mekong Delta are managed by households on a small scale.
Seventy-two percent of the farms were less than five hectares, he said, adding 76 percent of the farms yield 300 tonnes per hectare on average.
It is very hard to monitor and manage the quality of feed, water environment and the final product, he said.
Buyers and retailers have requested local farmers to apply high standards and quality controls, but this remains a big investment challenge when the selling prices are low, he added.
He also stressed the need for an effective surveillance system capable of detecting disease outbreaks in a timely and accurate manner.
VOVNews/VNA