Ministry Vows to Help Distressed Catfish Farmers

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat promised to help catfish farmers find the right price for their fish while addressing a teleconference with Mekong Delta authorities Monday.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat promised to help catfish farmers find the right price for their fish while addressing a teleconference with Mekong Delta authorities Monday.

Workers process catfish at a plant (Photo:TTO)
Workers process catfish at a plant (Photo:TTO)

They were meeting to discuss the catfish farmers’ problems in the last few months and measures to resolve them.

Catfish prices rule at VND12,800 per kilogram, which translates into a loss of VND2,000 - 3,000 per kilogram, and farmers in the delta region are sitting on stocks of 500,000 tons.

The director of Nam Viet Aquatic Company, Doan Toi, added that with the process of obtaining a bank loan becoming tortuous and complicated, farmers were unable to feed their fish well which became unhealthy as a result.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Thanh Bien said the industry should submit a petition to the State Bank of Viet Nam asking for soft loans for catfish processing plants.

He added that the sector should control the quality of breed stock, feed as well as the raising of the fish.

The Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers promised to provide more information about the market and prices to farmers.

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