Fishermen in Quynh Luu prepare seafood for the Lunar New Year.

Ms. Tran Thi Hoan's family has been involved in the seafood processing and trading business for many years in Son Hai commune, Quynh Luu district. Anticipating the increased demand for seafood products towards the end of the year, about two months before the Lunar New Year, Ms. Hoan invested over 1 billion VND to purchase various seafood products such as dried squid, mackerel, fresh shrimp, and fresh squid. She then processed, sorted, and packaged them for storage in a cold storage facility.

The demand for seafood increases significantly during the year-end holiday season. Photo: Nhu Thuy

On average, her family buys and sells about 2 tons of various seafood per month, but demand increases three to four times during Tet (Lunar New Year). Therefore, to ensure the quality and freshness of the seafood, her family has invested in two cold storage facilities to preserve the goods for longer periods and maintain their freshness.

Businesses in Quynh Luu district sort and package dried squid for storage to serve the Tet market. To keep seafood fresh, people usually wrap the fish tightly in newspaper or paper, pack it in styrofoam boxes, and then put it in a freezer. Photo: Hong Dien

Mr. Nguyen Van Tham, a fish sauce producer in Son Hai commune, said: "To meet orders promptly and adequately, about 30 days before Tet, when various types of fish sauce, such as spotted fish and scad, have been fermented for nearly two years, the producers proceed to filter and store them in large barrels."

To ensure the highest quality product, the people strictly adhere to production processes. From selecting fresh fish that hasn't been frozen, to using sea salt and spices for seasoning, everything must be precise. Even the drying and stirring time under the sun ensures the fish cooks evenly and releases its aroma. As a result, fish sauce from Quynh Luu district has a distinctive, delicious flavor, beautiful color, and is safe, making it popular in the market.

The entire district has 5 localities with traditional fish sauce processing villages, with more than 2,000 households engaged in the trade. Photo: Nhu Thuy

Currently, not only seafood processing facilities but also traditional fish sauce processing villages in Quynh Luu district are busily preparing for Tet (Lunar New Year). The district has five localities with traditional fish sauce processing villages, employing over 2,000 households. On average, Quynh Luu district processes approximately 40 million liters of various types of fish sauce annually.

With a fleet of over 800 large-capacity fishing vessels, fishermen in Quynh Luu district supply the market with an abundant supply of seafood, with a production of over 80,000 tons each year. However, this year, due to unfavorable weather conditions and high fuel prices, fishermen are facing many difficulties going out to sea. The total annual catch is estimated at 75,000 tons, with a revenue of approximately 3,000 billion VND.

To enhance the value of seafood products, Quynh Luu district has focused on directing coastal communes to promote and encourage fishermen to actively invest in applying technology to process products such as dried fish, dried squid, and dried shrimp to meet domestic and export market demands. On average, the value of processed goods increases by 20-30% compared to fresh products.

On average, people in Quynh Luu district process about 40 million liters of various types of fish sauce per year. Photo: Hong Dien

Ms. Vu Thi Bich Hang, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Quynh Luu District, said: "In order to prepare an abundant supply of seafood for the Lunar New Year, people in coastal areas have actively gone out to sea to harvest many types of high-value seafood, all of which are properly frozen immediately after catching. Typical products in Quynh Luu District such as dried squid, sun-dried squid, dried shrimp, grilled mackerel, yellowfin tuna, ground catfish, barracuda, pomfret, and barracuda... are all seafood products with very high consumption during Tet, 3-5 times higher than on normal days."

Currently, processed seafood products from fishermen in Quynh Luu district are considered to be of high quality and delicious, and are consumed throughout the country. However, to increase the value of seafood, Quynh Luu district is guiding fishermen to focus on processing and ensuring food safety and hygiene standards in order to achieve OCOP (One Commune One Product) certification. This will help promote the brand and create a legal framework for fishermen's specialty products to access export markets, increasing income for the people.