Quiet seafood processing village

(Baonghean.vn) - The end of the year is usually the busiest season for seafood processing facilities, because during Tet, people's demand for dried products such as squid, shrimp, dried shrimp, fish fillets or fish sauce increases.

As every year, processing facilities have to work hard, the whole craft village is bustling with hundreds of workers busy making products to supply the market. Orders are constantly pouring in, buyers and sellers jostle to buy goods. However, up to this point, only more than 2 weeks left until Lunar New Year, but the atmosphere of production and trading in many craft villages and seafood processing facilities is extremely quiet.

Coming to Dien Chau these days, the familiar bustle of every year is still not seen at the processing facilities. Mr. Nguyen Van Dung, Vice Chairman of Dien Ngoc Commune People's Committee said: "Compared to previous years, when buyers crowded together, this year is completely opposite. Processing facilities are having a hard time finding places to sell. Last year, items such as dried squid and shrimp were in short supply at this time. Many people from other places came to buy and had to fight each other.

Fish sauce processing facilities in Dien Chau are worried.
due to poor consumption

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hoa (Dong Loc hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune), owner of a frozen food processing facility, said: "Because input prices have increased, we have to increase our sales to the market. Depending on the product, such as dried squid or dried shrimp, the price can be up to more than 400,000 VND/kg. These products are mainly exported to China, so how can our people afford to buy them?"

It is known that Mr. Hoa exports about 3 tons of goods each month through unofficial channels. But near the end of the year, the border gate is about to close, so Mr. Hoa does not know where to sell it. "People in the district only come to buy a few kilos when Tet is near. We have tried to reduce input costs so that consumers can access them, but it is not much."

The most gloomy situation is still for small, individual fish sauce processing facilities. This is the time when many facilities will release their products for sale after a year of fermenting fish. However, many facilities are very worried. Ms. Tran Thi Chuyen (Dong Loc hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune) sadly said: "On a good day, we can sell more than 10 liters, but on some days we can't even sell a liter. At this time last year, my family sold more than 50 liters a day, but this year is very difficult."

Mrs. Chuyen's family currently has 50 am, one of the small production households, in Dien Bich commune there are many households with nearly 200 am. After 1.5 years of fermenting fish using traditional methods, this is the time when the fish sauce reaches a high protein content. Not only Mrs. Chuyen's family but also many fish sauce processing facilities are "half crying, half laughing" because they cannot sell their products. "Currently, on the market, there are many types of fish sauce such as Chin Su, Nam Ngu with beautiful, convenient designs, and advertised loudly.

Although our fish sauce has a much higher protein content, it is still very difficult to compete with other brands," said Ms. Chuyen. In Dien Bich commune, the buying and selling atmosphere is not much better. According to Mr. Thach Dinh Nghia, Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, the fish sauce output of the commune in 2011 was only 2 million/3 million liters, reaching 66% of the plan. The entire Dien Bich commune has more than 100 households producing fish sauce, consuming more than 1 billion liters of fish sauce each year, with a revenue of nearly 18 billion VND.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dien's household is one of the largest fish sauce processing facilities in the commune, but purchasing power in the last month of the year was also very weak. "Although our fish sauce has a brand name and is consumed by everyone, it is still very difficult to sell. If the situation continues like this, we will have to quit the job. If we cannot sell our products, this year's Tet will be much less fun," Mr. Dien shared.

The reason given by most business owners is that raw materials are scarcer at the end of the year. Therefore, high input costs force these businesses to raise their prices. On average, items such as dried squid, dried shrimp, anchovies, etc. all increased by 20-30%. "Last year, in the last month of the year, my agency sold nearly 10 tons of dried goods, and more than 1,000 liters of fish sauce. But this year, dried goods are mainly bought by retail customers, a few kilos, and fish sauce is only sold in quantities of more than 300 liters," said Mr. Le Duc Tuan, the owner of a seafood agency.

The decline in production and consumption of seafood processing facilities will certainly have a huge impact on people's lives, especially those working in these facilities. Tet is approaching, but perhaps the atmosphere will be less joyful for these coastal people...?.

Pham Bang