Returning to Tan Chau (An Giang), which used to be the largest center for supplying pangasius and breeding pangasius in the Mekong Delta, we can clearly feel the journey of changing the skin and meat of the fish farming profession. Mr. Nguyen Van Hum, who has been involved in the breeding profession in Vinh Xuong commune for many generations, compared the exploitation of old varieties to "pick-ups".
Every year, when floodwaters from upstream flow, people use simple methods to catch fish fry. For ba sa fish (also known as belly fish because they have 3 large layers of fat), you have to use fishing rods to catch each fish and clean them before raising them for sale. Pangasius is caught with a bottom - a typical fishing gear for flood areas - but the output is unstable due to dependence on nature.
After the merger, the seafood industry moved to a new page. In the early 80s, a series of incentive policies from the Council of Ministers helped fishermen invest in production, including pangasius and pangasius. In particular, in the 90s, An Giang pioneered investment, for the first time allowing ba sa fish to breed artificially. On July 20, 1995, AGIFISH successfully produced 5,000 artificially breeding pangasius; by 1996, it reached 900,000 and by 2000, it increased to 2 million.
This success has built a bridge for An Giang to boldly invest in expanding the expansion of artificial breeding pangasius. In May 1997, AGIFish Company also gave birth to the first pangasius batch in May 1997 in Chau Doc.
Not stopping there, thanks to drastic policies from the government, the new-style pangasius farming model in ponds has been born, improving the quality of meat to meet export standards. Pangasius is gradually perfectly replacing pangasius, which has many limitations in the farming and growth environment, creating momentum to break out to the ocean.
After obtaining a stable source of raw materials, in 1995 An Giang province invested in a modern seafood processing factory (Agifish) aiming to bring pangasius to the big sea. By the end of the 1990s, the first frozen pangasius of Vietnam from An Giang came to the United States. From the success of An Giang has quickly spread to the movement of raising and processing pangasius, Ba Sa exported to localities: Dong Thap, Can Tho ...
Although the farming area is only about 6,000 hectares, Vietnamese pangasius and pangasius still reaches the market of nearly 140 countries, bringing in 1.5-2.4 billion USD per year. Not only is this industry a "billion-dollar fish", it also creates stable jobs for 250,000 workers. With 52% of output and 90% of global market share, Vietnam holds the world No. 1 position in the production and export of pangasius.
With the attention of the Party and the State, many businesses have invested in developing the pangasius and pangasius industry in a circular direction. After being launched, fish fog is used as aquaculture feed, returning to serve the fish farming industry. Some businesses also turn waste into high-value products. Fish waste is also used to produce organic protein for cultivation.
