Facing sales challenges, fishmeal processing facilities in Nghe An province are stockpiling hundreds of tons.
Recently, the consumption of fishmeal has been difficult, causing fishmeal processing facilities in Nghe An to face inventory buildup and operate at a reduced capacity.
Visiting a fishmeal processing facility in Dien Ngoc commune, we saw piles of fishmeal stacked haphazardly. Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, the owner of the fishmeal processing facility in Dien Ngoc commune, said: "Since the beginning of July 2024, the market for fishmeal used as animal feed has been very difficult to sell. Currently, our facility has over 150 tons of fishmeal in stock."
The reason fishmeal is difficult to sell is due to the limited purchasing by the Chinese market. This difficulty in selling the product has led to the factory operating at a reduced capacity and hesitating to purchase raw materials from local farmers. Furthermore, at Mrs. Nam's fishmeal factory in Dien Ngoc commune, nearly 200 tons of fishmeal are currently stockpiled due to the frozen market.
Mr. Tran Van Nam, a fisherman in Dien Ngoc commune, shared: "Previously, we easily sold small fish by-products to fishmeal processing facilities. Now, because it's difficult to sell them and they've limited their purchases, we don't know who to sell them to."
In Quynh Luu district, several fishmeal processing facilities are facing a similar situation. The owner of a fishmeal processing plant at Lach Quen fishing port, Quynh Thuan commune, Quynh Luu district, said: The facility processes 10 tons of fish per day, contributing to the timely purchase of seafood from local people. However, since the beginning of July 2023, due to difficulties in sales, the facility currently has over 300 tons of fishmeal in stock. The unit has proactively lowered the price of fishmeal from 27,000 VND/kg to 22,000 VND/kg, but no one is buying.
To cope with the difficulties, some fishmeal processing facilities in Nghe An have sought the domestic market, selling at lower prices, although consumption remains limited. Despite the challenges, some facilities are still maintaining production to retain workers and avoid labor shortages when demand improves.
Currently, Nghe An province has 10 fishmeal processing facilities for animal feed. Over the years, these facilities have contributed to the timely collection of small fish for local fishermen and provided employment for many local workers. However, difficulties in product consumption have forced most factories to operate at a reduced capacity, affecting the sale of small fish for local fishermen in the province.
