According to Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), fishery output in the first half of this year reached 1.6 million metric tons, up 4.8% against the same period last year and fulfilling 55% of the yearly target.
MARD attributed the high output to favourable weather conditions during the January-June period. Of the figure, offshore catch exceeded 1.55 million tonnes, a y-o-y rise of 5% while the output caught in inland rivers and lakes was 85,000 tonnes, up 1.2% over the corresponding time last year.
The good weather also made it easier for tuna fishing in the central provinces of Bình Định, Phú Yên and Khánh Hòa, which brought ashore an estimated 13,026 tonnes, an increase of 21.8% y-o-y. Tuna prices at ports ranged between 60,000 VND and 96,000 VND per kilo.
Meanwhile, farmed fish output reached 1.69 million tonnes in the reviewed time, rising 6.7% compared to the sames period last year, and accounting for 43.3% of the annual plan, the ministry said.
Pangasius output hit 583,503 tonnes, equivalent to the number recorded in the same period last year and 50.7% of the target set for the whole year although farming area in the Mekong Delta decreased 16% to an estimated 3,076 ha.
During the reviewed period, brackish shrimp farms also produced 216,811 tonnes, up 14.7% y-o-y and completing 32.9% of the yearly target, on an area of 639,761 ha, an increase of 5.5%.
Vannamei shrimp farming area expanded by 32.6% percent to 57,680 ha which produced 107,662 tonnes, up 30.8%. Meanwhile, with an area of 582,080 ha, up 3.4% y-o-y, the output of tiger prawn was 109,149 tonnes, a rise of 2.2%.
In the first six months of this year, exported aquatic products worth $3.5 billion, predominantly to the US, Japan, China and South Korea, marking a 14.1% rise, said Mard.
VFM
