Despites facing difficulties in entering the European Union and Chinese markets, Vietnamese pangasius exports to the Brazilian market by mid-July enjoyed an annual surge of 86.8% to US$35.5 million, according to industry insiders.

At present, Brazilian consumers are seeking to purchase nutritious, high-quality and healthy frozen seafood products such as pangasius as the world moves into the post-pandemic recovery period, and Vietnam is considered a potential supplier of this type of fish, said the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

Approximately 20 Vietnamese businesses got involved in exporting frozen pangasius fillets to Brazil in the first half of the year, said VASEP adding demand for processed convenience products continues to rise in the South American country.

As several major cities in Brazil are bouncing back from the COVID-19 crisis, Vietnamese pangasius businesses have more chances to export their products to this market in the near future.

However, pangasius enterprises in the Mekong Delta region are facing numerous challenges due to the latest resurgence of the pandemic, according to experts.

They said almost all pangasius firms are currently struggling to iron out snags, including a rise in the price of input materials and high transportation costs of their products.

Meanwhile, Duong Nghia Quoc, chairman of the Vietnam Pangasius Association, suggested workers should be vaccinated against COVID-19 to maintain the workforce for production.

He also suggested that support should also be provided to local enterprises in terms of credit, tax exemptions, and reductions to enable them to overcome the challenging period as soon as possible.

Source: VOV