The fishing village of Cua Lo is bustling with activity as Tet approaches.
(Baonghean.vn) - During Tet (Lunar New Year), products such as fish sauce, shrimp paste, dried shrimp, and processed seafood begin to sell strongly, and the craft villages in Cua Lo coastal area are busy preparing for the year's major production season…
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| After eight months of fermentation, the shrimp paste batches are now mature and fragrant enough to supply the market for Tet (Lunar New Year). Photo: Thanh Phuc |
For two consecutive years, the peopleSeafood processing villages in Cua Lo town.The seafood industry faced difficulties when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, with unsold and unpopular seafood stocks. However, in the last months of the year, goods circulated better, and the seafood market gradually warmed up, bringing great joy to the people in the fishing village.
At this time, shrimp paste and fermented fish paste processing facilities are busy with packaging, marketing, and distribution. Ms. Bui Thi Hang, a member of the Binh Minh Cooperative, a seafood processing village in Binh Minh (Nghi Thuy ward), said: “To have products to serve this Tet season, since April, our family has selected the freshest and most delicious sea shrimp and sea bream and fermented them. After eight months, the paste is now ripe, fragrant, and delicious. Currently, we are focusing on packaging for wholesale to dealers and traders in markets throughout the province. We predict that sales volume this Tet could increase two to three times compared to normal days...”
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| According to producers, the volume of mackerel sold during the year-end period is expected to increase 2-3 times compared to normal days. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
Grilled mackerel from Cua LoGrilled mackerel from Cua Lo is also a popular choice during Tet (Lunar New Year). Besides being served at the feast, it's also a sought-after gift. To meet customer demand, Cua Lo grilled mackerel is vacuum-packed in attractive paper boxes weighing 1kg, 2kg, and 4kg per carton.
According to Mr. Truong Nhu Hung, owner of Hung Nom grilled mackerel production facility (Nghi Hai), this Tet holiday, they expect to sell about 10 tons of mackerel, mainly to markets within the province and in the South. Therefore, at present, in addition to mobilizing more workers, his production facility has invested in more machinery and equipment, and expanded the workshop to increase production. At the same time, the family's cold storage has also prepared a large quantity of carefully selected mackerel to serve the Tet holiday market.
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| Villagers in Hai Giang 1 fish sauce making village are bottling, filtering, and packaging fermented fish sauce products for the Tet (Lunar New Year) market. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
Mr. Hung said: “Although input costs have increased due to the impact of rising fuel prices, we have signed contracts with distributors at stable prices. While in previous months, revenue decreased by up to 50% due to the Covid-19 pandemic, starting this month, sales have improved and the number of orders has increased. Currently, in addition to traditional customers, I am strengthening connections with people from Nghe An in Laos, Thailand, Cambodia… From mid-November until now, we have been exporting an average of about 1 ton of mackerel to the market every day.”
Product recognizedAchieved 3-star OCOP rating at the provincial level in 2021.The Hai Giang 1 fish sauce village (Nghi Hai ward, Cua Lo town) is urgently completing the final stages to supply fish sauce to the market for Tet (Lunar New Year).
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| Fish sauce producers are ramping up production to meet Tet holiday orders. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
Notably, to ensure food safety and hygiene, in addition to using fresh and delicious ingredients, the villagers have switched from fermenting in cement tanks to earthenware jars; packaging technology has also been replaced with modern production lines; and plastic bottles for fish sauce have been replaced with glass. To meet the demand for gifts during Tet (Lunar New Year), producers offer various designs such as 5-liter and 10-liter gift boxes or 1-liter and 2-liter gift baskets, catering to a wide range of customers.
In other households, people are also busy sorting and packaging dried seafood such as squid, shrimp, and prawns for wholesale customers. According to producers, the demand for fish sauce, shrimp paste, frozen seafood, and dried seafood will increase 3-4 times compared to normal days. Therefore, at this time, people in the Cua Lo coastal area have prepared their goods to supply the market, contributing to bringing the savory taste of the sea to the Tet holiday meals of each family.
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| Dried seafood products, seafood spring rolls, shrimp cakes, squid cakes, etc., also sell well during Tet. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
"Hopefully, the Tet market will flourish, with people consuming large quantities of goods to compensate for the losses incurred this year due to the pandemic. Besides traditional products, canned goods with updated designs, attractive packaging, and complete labels will attract consumers to buy them for personal use and as gifts during Tet."
