Current Status Of The

Pangasius Industry In The

Mekong Delta, Viet Nam
Nguyen Van Hao
Research Institute for Aquaculture (RIA2)
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

NGUYEN VAN HAO

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam
Dr.NguyenVanHaoisdirectoroftheResearchInstituteforAquaculture
No.2andcoordinatorof Vietnam'sNationalMekongfisheriesprogram.
Hehasledavarietyofprojectstoadvanceaquaculturein Vietnam,
includingprogramsonbettermanagementpracticesforcatfishproduction
andaquaticanimalhealthstrategiesinsustainableaquaculturesystems.
HehasadoctorateinfishphysiologyfromtheAllRussianResearch
InstituteforAquaculturein Moscow,
DrVanHaohasbeenprojectleaderonprogramsforselectivebreeding
for Pangasius andcarp,aswellasviraldiseasemanagementinshrimp.

Introduction
Auniqueaquaticfarmingsystem.
Productionisfastestgrowthrecordedinany
aquaculturesector.
Over90%ofthefarmedcatfishisprocessedand
exportedtomorethan100countriesglobally.
Itsacceptabilityandpopularityisgrowingdueto
affordablewhitefish.
Manyissuesonitsqualityandthenatureofthe
farmingsystemhavebeenraised.

ExportVolumeandValue
1.2

0.3

0.25
0.8
0.2
0.6
0.15
0.4
0.1
0.2

0.05
0

0
2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Export value (million US$)

Export volume (million tonnes)

0.35

Export Volume
Value

VolumeofExportMarkets
100%

Other Countries
Australia
China
Ukraine
Egypt
Russia
Asean
Mexico
North America
America
EU

80%

(%)

60%

40%

20%

0%
2003

2004

2005

2006

Year

2007

2008

ValueofExportMarketShare
100%

Other Countries
Australia
Canada
China
Ukraine
Egypt
Russia
Asean
Mexico
America
EU

80%

(%)

60%

40%

20%

0%
2003

2004

2005

2006

Year

2007

2008

SeedProduction

1950s Fromthewild
1970s Researchstarted
1990s Widelyapplied
Produceallyearround
GSI>10%
Fecundity:400,000fries/female(5kg)

SeedProduction
Maturationage:3yearsfordomesticatedand4yearsforwild
broodstock.
Rematurationcapacity:34times/year.
Timeofbroodstock exploitation:34years.
Recentlyfingerlingproduction:
Approximately6,000nurseryfarmsand150hatcheries
produce10billionfries(1billionfingerlings).
Thepotentialisabout50billionfries/year.
Uncontrolledmanagementofbroodstocks.
Unhealthyseedmarketcompetition.
Thepriceoffriesisextremelycheap.
Thepriceoffingerlingisunstableandrelativelylow.
Nocollaborationbetweenseedandgrowoutproducers.

SeedProduction
Improvingseedquality.
BreedingprogramdesignedandoperatedbyRIA2(20012008)
o Toincreasegrowthandfilletyield.
o Growthimproved13%pergeneration.
Disseminationprogramme:
o Startedin2010todeliver300,000selectedbroodstocks to
sixprovincesofMekongdelta.
Newbreedingprogramfordiseaseresistancein2010.

Growout Systems
Traditionalcareersince1950s:Pondandcage;practiceby
experience;mainlyfordomesticconsumption.
Catfishfarmingoperationswererarelyvertically
integrated.
Catfishfarmsizebasedonrelativelysmallholding,farmers
owned,operatedandmanaged(72%farmslessthan5ha).
Thisisintensivefarmingsystem.

Growout Systems
Ponddesignisdifferentfromotherfarming
systems,withmostfarms(69%)having
pondwaterdepthsof3.5to4.5m
76%ofthefarmsyielded300tons/ha/crop
ormore.

FeedsandFeeding
Mostfarm(97%)usecommerciallymadefeeds,while37%of
farmsusedfarmmadefeed,49%ofwhichproducedonsite.
Manyinternationalandnationalfeedmillers(40companies)
havetriedtobecomeestablishedintheregiontoobtaina
shareofthismarket.
Farmersconfirmthatusingfarm madefeedsnotonly
resultedinabetterproductionbutalsowascheaperor
morecosteffective.
Culturecyclewhenusingfarmmadefeedisoften46weeks
longerthanwhenusingcommercialfeed.

Environment
Theamountofwaterusedfortheproductionofonetonof
catfishwas4,023m3.
Farmsmainlydischargedwaterdirectlytothemainriver(63%),
primarycanals(19%),ortoricefieldsorgardens(11%).
Nitrogenat47.3kg/tonofcatfishisdischarged(FCR=1.69,
protein=25%);equivalentto70,950tonsnitrogen/1.5million
tonsofcatfish/peryear.
Thisisalmostnegligiblewhencomparedtoinputofother
agricultureactivities:170182kgofplantnutrientswereapplied
perseededhaofpaddy(7.48millionhain2000).

Diseases
Mortalityoffishinthefirstweekfollowingstockingis
about7%.Thiswastypicallyupto30%duringtheearlyto
midmonthsoftheproductioncycle,and<10%inlater
months.
BNP(BacillaryNecrosisofPangasius),parasitesandwhite
gillsarethemoreseverediseases.
TheoccurrenceofdiseasesymptomswashighestinJune
andJuly,whichcorrespondedwiththeonsetofthewet
seasonandincreasedrainfall.

Diseases

Researchonproducingvaccines
Research on producing vaccines against white spot
disease caused by bacteria Edwardsiella ictaluri
NAVESCO&RIA2 MARD20062008.
Pathogenidentification
Immuneresponsetoantigen
Determinationofvaccinesafety
Properrouteofvaccination
Efficacyofvaccineonfishfarmlevel.
Parasiticandbacterialinfectioniscommondiseasesof
river catfish. Chemical Therapy can control these
withsurvival7080%atharvesttime

Diseases
Prevalence of Fishborne Trematode
in Mekong delta (An giang province)
FIBOZOBAproject,DANIDARIA2
Results:2047fish,7districts
3 intestinal flukes: Haplorchis
pumilio, H. sp., Centrocestus
aramatus
Prevalenceofmetacercaria:
1.7%foundonwildfishonly
(notincatfish)
Allofthemareintestinal
Noseasonalprevalence

Market
Itwasratherunusualthatnomiddlemenwereinvolvedin
themarketingprocess.
Ofthefarmssurveyed,89%acceptedpriorpaymentfrom
thebuyers,rangingfrom1050%ofthetotalestimated
sellingprice.
Farmers(41%)alsoaccepteddelayedpaymentsfromthe
buyers,especiallywhentherewaslimiteddemandfrom
theprocessingplants.
Most(67%)farmersindicatedthatthestandardofliving
hadincreasedsincetakingupcatfishfarming,butonly
11%offarmersplantoexpandtheirfarmsinthefuture
duetounstableorlowfishprices.

ProductPrice
PRODUCT PRICE

Mean of price (USD/kg)

3.76
3.11

3.5

2.76
3

2.57
2.27

2.5

2.85

2.53

2.33

2.46

2.27

1.5
1
0.5
0
20 00

20 01

20 02

20 03

20 04

20 05
YEAR

20 06

20 07

20 08 T8 /200 9

Certification&Stabilization
Activities
TheBluePlanetLabel(2007)betweenDutchimporter(Seacon)
andNavico.In2008Navicoplannedtocertifyapproximately
300haofpondstoproduceorganicfish.
AGIFISHestablishingthePurePangasius Union withSGS.In
2008,theunionincluded120ha(32members)supplying
between3550,000MT/year.
TheNaturlandstandardsfocusonspecificorganiccriteria.Two
certifiedPangasius farms 900MT/year(0.001%).
ButlersChoiceusingSA8000SocialAccountabilitysystemand
ISO14001withapricepremiumofaround20%.Only500MT
ofcertifiedproductwasexportedtoDenmark.

Certification&Stabilization
Activities
GlobalGAPisshiftingfromfoodqualityandsafetyto
environmentalandsocialcertification.GlobalGAPhasopened
upthedevelopmentofitsstandardsettingprocesstothe
scrutinyofNGOandindustryrepresentativeinSoutheast
Asia.
VietGAPbeingtestedin2009withtheassistanceofGTZ.This
standardistofocusonimprovingproductionoutputrather
thanassistingproducerstoincrementallyimprovetheir
farmingpractice.

Certification&Stabilization
Activities
Pangasius AquacultureDialogue(PAD)todevelopsetof
certificationstandardsthateffectivelyaddressthe
sustainabilityofPangasius industry.Thequestionsstillremain
astowhatcapacitiesthemajorityoffarmerswillrequiretobe
certified
CatfishBMPproject(NACA,CARD,PIRVic,DPI,AusAID).

Certification&Stabilization
Activities
BAPPangasius standardsreleasedinAugust2010
currentlyprocessingapplicationsforfourPangasius
facilities.
Thesuccessofcertificationinsteeringtowardsmore
sustainableproductionpracticeswilldependlargely
onthecapacityandwillingnessoffarmerstoadopt
voluntaryinternationalstandards.
Successwillalsodependontowhatextentinfluence
canbeexertedonrelatedindustrystakeholders.

Comments&Recommendations
ThegrowthrateofPangasius aquaculturehasplacedconsiderable
pressureonpolicymakersatalllevels.
Thegovernmentfacesthechallengesofbalancinggrowthin
internationalmarketswithenvironmentalandsocialsustainability.
Planningfallsbelowthedevelopment,thedynamicandthe
complexityoftheindustry.
Impactstoruralcommunities,theenvironmentandlivelihoodin
termoflanduse,ecologicalcapacityoftheMekongRiverand
marketrequirement.
Diseaseoutbreaksbecomemoreserious.
Limitedmonitoringandmanagementofseedquality,feed,water
environment,andfinalproduct.

Comments&Recommendations
Conflictamongstakeholderssuchasproducers,suppliers,retailers,
processingcompaniesandexportersintermofprofitsharing.
ThemonopolystatusofVietnamesePangasius couldnotbe
maintainedforalongtime.
Farmgatepricesarenowextremelylow probablyduetounhealthy
competitionbetweenprocessingplants.
Reducetheavailabilityofrawmaterialduetolargeproportionofthe
farmersaremakinglosses.Theystopfarming.
Requesttoapplyhighstandardsandqualitycontrolsby
Buyers/Retailers.Moreinvestmentisabigchallenge,becausethe
currentfarmgatepriceisextremelylow.
ThedeteriorationinPangasius filletqualitycanimpactthelongterm
reputationofVietnameseaquacultureproducts.

Comments&Recommendations
Harmonizethebalancebetweenproductionincrementwith
environmentalprotectionandsocialstability.
Promotethecooperationbetweendifferentstakeholdersandline
agenciesforsettingupagoodstrategicplanforcatfishfarmingin
MekongDelta.
Toassistsmallandmediumproducerstobettercomplywith
internationalrequirements,theVietnamesegovernmenthas
developedanewCooperativeLaw,withspecialattentiontosmaller
scale productiongroup.
Supplychainstudyfortheindustry.
Verticalintegratedenterprises.
AnexcellentbrandnameofVietnamesecatfish.
Communitybaseandcomanagement.
Tostrengthentheinspectionnetworkforthewholesupplychain.
MekongDeltaCatfishAssociation.

Comments&Recommendations
Urgentlyneededistodeterminetherealpotentialofprivate
governancearrangementsandtheircompatibilitywithexisting
governmentregulation,andimprovedunderstandingofthe
willingnessandcapabilityoffarmerstoparticipateandrespond to
certificationstandards.
Acceleratetheincorporationofupdatedbiotechnologyintothe
industrysdifferentcomponents.
Setupaneffectivesurveillancesystemcapableoftimelyand
accuratedetectionofoutbreaks.
Todevelopaneffectiveextensionnetworktosupporttheindustry.
Informationnetworkdevelopmentatboththenationaland
internationallevels.
Strengtheninternationalcollaboration.