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Aquaculture sector targets sustainable development

Hanoi, December 25 (VNA) – The aquaculture sector needs to take comprehensive restructuring measures for sustainable development, said Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat.

During a conference reviewing the achievements of the Directorate of Fisheries in 2015 and setting plans for 2016 on December 25 in Hanoi, the Minister urged the sector to improve product quality and safety in a bid to enhance its competitiveness in international markets.

The sector should focus on its key products while promoting application of such standards as VietGAP to better meet market’s demand, he said, adding the VietGAP standards also need to be improved to catch up with reality.

Deputy Director General of the Directorate, Nguyen Thi Thu Nguyet highlighted the difficulties facing the sector in 2016 including impacts from the global sluggish economic growth and the El-Nino phenomenon on aquaculture activities.

While new FTAs will open up new opportunities for export, the sector will also has to tackle trade and technical barriers in import countries, she added.

According to the Deputy Director General, in the 2011-2015 period, the sector’s aquatic produce output has seen an average annual growth of 3.8 percent, and the export value has increased by an average 2.4 percent.

Statistics of the Directorate showed that in 2015, the sector produced 6.56 million tonnes of aquatic products, up 3.6 percent from last year, of which 3.53 million tonnes came from aquaculture.

The 2015 export value hit 6.72 billion USD, 10.4 percent short of the year’s target.
VNA/VNP


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