Spiny lobster exports face difficulties

Export bottlenecks

According to a number of lobster exporting and farming establishments in Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa provinces, the Chinese market has stopped importing lobsters since October. This is not the first time that lobster exports to this market have been interrupted. At the end of September this year, about 6 tons of lobsters exported by enterprises through Mong Cai border gate (Quang Ninh) were also stopped, and enterprises had to sell them to the market at prices ranging from only 200,000 - 400,000 VND/kg, equal to 1/3 of the export price, to recover capital. China is currently Vietnam's largest lobster consumer market, but this year, turnover has decreased sharply. By the end of August, Vietnam's lobster exports to China reached 76 million USD, down 42% compared to the same period in 2022.

It is necessary to build a quality lobster chain, ensuring traceability for official export.

Talking to Thanh Nien , Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Thu - Director of Thanh Nhon Seafood and General Trading Company Limited (HCMC), confirmed: "Our company is the unit that signed the official lobster export contract to China, however, the consumption situation in this market this year is very difficult. Although customers have signed contracts for thousands of tons, orders are only scattered in a few tons, mainly green lobsters, while customers do not buy flower lobsters". The Chinese market is not buying goods, making flower lobsters larger in size and the selling price is also twice as high as green lobsters, but there is a shortage of output, so the price of flower lobsters is falling, lower than green lobsters.

According to statistics from the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in 2022, Vietnam's lobster exports to China reached over 257 million USD, an increase of 8.3 times compared to 2021 thanks to high consumer demand after a long period of market closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of the year, China's demand for lobster has remained stable, even increasing by over 15% in imported lobster volume. The largest lobster suppliers to China include Canada, the US, New Zealand, Cuba, India, Brazil, Mexico, etc.

"Vietnam ranks only 14th in supplying lobster to China, accounting for a small market share of 1%. Vietnam's lobster products exported to China include rock lobster, flower lobster, fresh and live green lobster. This year, in the face of global consumption difficulties due to economic recession, Vietnam's lobster prices are quite high, so they cannot compete with other countries such as Ecuador or India, which is why the consumption market is sometimes disrupted," analyzed a VASEP media representative.

What is the solution?

VASEP representative informed that currently, lobster consumption is mainly exported to the Chinese market through unofficial channels. Lobster farmers always face many risks when prices fluctuate, traders force down prices... In addition, unofficial exports are increasingly narrowing as China is gradually applying strict conditions. To ensure convenience in the future, it is very necessary to export lobsters through official channels. To do so, it is urgent to create links in production, purchasing, and exporting lobsters with traceability. To verify and promptly remove obstacles, in September, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development sent a document to the Vietnamese Embassy and Trade Office in China and the Nanning Customs Department (General Department of Customs of China).

While waiting for a response from China, the Department of Fisheries proposed to strengthen the control of lobster seed quality, disease prevention and treatment; provide guidance on cage farming registration and appropriate cage arrangement according to plan. At the same time, the Department of Fisheries also recommended that people choose suitable farming species, including reducing the farming of spiny lobsters, increasing the farming of green lobsters and harvesting at the appropriate time. The agency also requested the organization to build a quality lobster chain, ensuring traceability of origin.

Mr. Lam Duy Dung, Vice Chairman of Song Cau Town People's Committee (Phu Yen), shared: "We are working with the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to support fisheries cooperatives in building value chains, training, and implementing linkages between seed companies and feed companies to build farming area codes and then export to countries around the world, increasing value as well as minimizing farming areas that affect the environment". Currently, in Phu Yen province, there are about 99,600 lobster cages, with nearly 2,000 tons of harvested shrimp. The establishment of the cooperative is to comply with regulations on traceability and meet the conditions for official export".

To officially export lobsters to the Chinese market, businesses must be granted an enterprise code for exporting to the Chinese market and a quarantine certificate issued by the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development). Therefore, farmers need to focus on caring for and closely monitoring market developments, stocking at moderate density and in accordance with planning, and fully registering and declaring with state management agencies. According to the project to develop lobster farming and export by 2025 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the target of total farming output is 3,000 tons per year, with an export turnover value of 200 million USD per year. The largest lobster producing provinces in the country include Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, and Kien Giang.

Seafood businesses still face capital difficulties

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Processors and Exporters has just reported on the situation of seafood production and export and the difficulties and obstacles in mechanisms, policies and administrative procedures.

According to VASEP, most Vietnamese enterprises are mainly small and medium-sized, start-up enterprises, so bank capital is the main channel for investment and development, especially in the current period, in addition to loan capital, capital mobilization channels from the financial market are almost ineffective. The regulation of borrowing transactions between banks and enterprises borrowing long-term for investment is an affiliated transaction, thereby capping interest expenses for calculating income tax is unreasonable, affecting business results, as well as cash flow of enterprises in the first years of investment. Lending transactions between banks and enterprises need to be considered a normal business activity in which the product is the source of capital. This capping of interest expenses will make enterprises not have enough potential or be afraid to invest and innovate technology. Meanwhile, investment and innovation are vital for the development of enterprises in particular, as well as the country's economy in general.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/xuat-khau-tom-hum-bong-gap-kho-185231108231420023.htm