Proud of the brand 'Van Phan fish sauce'

(Baonghean) - Overcoming many difficulties and challenges, Van Phan Dien Chau Seafood Joint Stock Company is now growing stronger and stronger. It has built the brand "Van Phan fish sauce" present throughout Vietnam and some international markets.

Van Phan Dien Chau Seafood Joint Stock Company, formerly Dien Chau Seafood Station, was established and operated since November 1947. Initially, the Station was supported by the people of Dien Ngoc commune to establish in Hai Ly hamlet, with the task of purchasing and processing seafood to serve the resistance war. In 1950, Dien Chau district consolidated and expanded the station at the location near Lach Van, with the task of purchasing and processing fish, providing fishing gear for fishermen.

During the period 1960 - 1975, due to the war, in 1969, Dien Chau Seafood Station had to evacuate to Nhan Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district to both produce and fight. In 1973, it moved to its current address in Dien Ngoc commune, Dien Chau district. According to Decision No. 44 VP/UB dated October 2, 1973 of Dien Chau District Administrative Committee, the Station was assigned 29,760 m2 of land to build the headquarters office and fish sauce production and processing area.

Packaging of Van Phan fish sauce products. Photo: Van Truong

Before 1983, the Station was under the management of Nghe Tinh Seafood Company. At the end of 1983, according to the policy of strengthening the district level, the station was transferred to the district for management. According to Decision No. 913 QD/UB dated July 11, 1983 of Dien Chau District People's Committee, Dien Chau Seafood Processing Station was upgraded to Dien Chau Seafood Enterprise, production was mainly planned.

In 1987, the State abolished the subsidy regime and switched to business accounting. According to Decision No. 820 QD/UB dated May 26, 1987 of the People's Committee of Nghe An province, the Enterprise was transformed into Dien Chau Seafood Company. Initially, with many difficulties and challenges, the fish sauce output decreased from over 1 million liters to only 830 thousand liters. During that difficult time, the station reorganized production, increased raw material purchases, and at the same time arranged wholesale and retail such as shrimp paste and fish sauce in the district and outside the district. The situation improved day by day.

At the end of 1992, following the policy of improving the efficiency of state-owned enterprises, the Company was named Dien Chau Aquatic Services Company, according to Decision No. 2029/QD-UB dated November 14, 1992 under the management of Nghe An Department of Aquatic Products. The company's operating conditions became better and better, revenue also increased, and the lives of employees in the company were significantly improved.

By 2000, due to the requirements of the market mechanism and the company's operating conditions, the Company was equitized and renamed Dien Chau Seafood Joint Stock Company according to Decision No. 03/2000/QD-UB dated January 3, 2000 of the People's Committee of Nghe An province. Since December 2006, the official name of the Company is Van Phan Dien Chau Seafood Joint Stock Company. With an initial charter capital of only 1.2 billion VND, after equitization, in a fiercely competitive market mechanism. The Company still stands firm and is growing. The Company has paid over 15 billion VND to the State budget, invested over 8 billion VND in building facilities, equipment, applying science and technology in production and business and building a brand.

Since 2016, with the view of sharing with the community, after the company's leaders donated the Van Phan Fish Sauce brand to the locality, Van Phan Fish Sauce is the only certified brand of Nghe An managed by the State. Determining that product quality determines the survival of the enterprise, the Company has applied the ISO 22,000:2005 Food Safety Quality Management System to production, improving the quality and competitiveness of the product. It has applied 4 new science and technology topics, cleaner production programs, and technical process conversion, helping to effectively implement environmental protection and save billions of VND in costs each year.

Over the past 70 years since its establishment, the Company has purchased and processed over 70 thousand tons of aquatic products and brought to the market over 100 million liters of quality-assured fish sauce along with tens of thousands of tons of other aquatic products to serve the cause of national construction and defense. With a very low starting point in the difficult conditions of the country in general and the company in particular, each officer, employee, shareholder and worker of the company over many periods has made continuous efforts in building and developing the company as it is today. Although the company has made many efforts to improve working conditions, environment and income for workers, although the lives of workers are still very difficult, the officers and workers of the company are still very proud to be workers of Van Phan Dien Chau Seafood Joint Stock Company, contributing to making Van Phan Fish Sauce a specialty of Nghe An, present throughout Vietnam and some foreign markets.

Van Phan fish sauce is processed by hand. Photo: Van Truong

Especially after equitization in 2000, with a small charter capital of 784 million VND, many difficulties, no collateral to borrow from banks, up to now the capital contributed by shareholders to invest in the company to create conditions for the company to overcome difficulties and stabilize production has increased more than 20 times. Revenue has increased 10 times compared to the beginning of equitization. From having only a few types of products, the number of products of the company has now increased to over 30 types, with beautiful packaging designs, good quality, reasonable prices and increasingly improved product competitiveness. The company's market has been increasingly expanded throughout the country and is present in many places around the world.

Such achievements must be attributed to the efforts of generations of company staff to overcome difficulties together. The company would like to thank the authorities at all levels, functional departments at the provincial and district levels for creating the best conditions for the company to operate. Especially the consensus, support, sharing and facilitation of officials, government leaders and people of Dien Ngoc commune over the past 70 years.

Vo Van Dai

(Director of Van Phan Dien Chau Seafood Joint Stock Company)