Depending on unofficial exports, seafood prices are forced down

90% of seafood production is concentrated in the Chinese market through informal export channels.

The price of seafood, high or low, strong or weak consumption, is always beyond the control of fishermen. Seafood products are mainly exported through unofficial channels.

The lowest and highest price difference in lobster purchasing is up to 1 million VND/kg at the same time. If it is grade 1 lobster, it can be sold for 1.5 million VND/kg but if it is grade 2, it is only 1.2 million and if it is grade 3, it is only 800,000 VND/kg.

It takes 18 months for fishermen to sell commercial lobsters. They know it is not a satisfactory way to buy, but if they do not sell, they do not know who to sell to.

After the lobsters are sold to the specialized buyers, they will be transported to warehouses and from these warehouses, the lobsters will be exported to China through unofficial channels. From the price to the way of buying and selling, everything depends on the unofficial export agents. The farmers never know who those agents are.

Difficult farming conditions, low yields and an unstable market have increased fishermen's concerns. Lobster prices are constantly changing. The constant price changes are related to the fact that 90% of production is concentrated in the Chinese market through unofficial export channels.

The peculiarity of seafood such as lobster is that it is sold fresh, meaning that it cannot be aimed at export markets that are geographically far away. Meanwhile, the consumption level in the domestic market is insignificant. This has caused the situation of squeezing the purchase price of exported lobsters to last for many years.

The risks from the seafood export markets through unofficial channels have been warned for a long time, but for the aquaculture sector, there is almost no solution./.

According to VOV - HV