Hanoi (VNA) ♍– The first tra fish (pangasius) festival will take place in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap on December 16 and 17 and is expected to draw the participation of 50,000 partners in the sector as well as domestic and foreign visitors.

The news was announced at a press conference in Hanoi on December 13 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the People's Committee of Dong Thap province. Le Ha Luan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Hong Ngu city in Dong Thap province, said the festival, with the theme of "Reaching out to the large sea", will be in Hong Ngu - the capital of tra fish.  It aims to popularise and show gratefulness to the tra fish farming industry – one of the key economic sectors of Dong Thap province in particular and the Mekong Delta region in general, he said, adding that products from tra fish and local specialities will be at the festival. "Tra fish products have reached out to the world and penetrated almost all the most demanding markets, opening up opportunities for other economic ties and products. Therefore, the first tra fish festival will be held to honour and acknowledge the contributions of individuals and organisations to developing the tra fish sector. The festival will also be an occasion to reflect on the development journey of tra fish, a pride-worthy product of Dong Thap province and the Mekong Delta region," Luan said. The festival will include a wide range of activities such as experiencing the space of tra fish and fish species in general in the Vietnamese and world cultures, cuisine and presenting souvenirs and typical products from tra fish, a cuisine contest, and field trips to tra fish farming areas and tra fish processing plants. Several forums and seminars will be held within the festival's framework, including a conference to review the tra fish sector's performance in 2022, another on tra fish farming and consumption chains, and a workshop on agricultural extension. These activities will serve as opportunities for enterprises to meet and share information about the domestic and foreign markets, connect supply and demand, and seek potential business partners. Vietnam's tra fish export value is expected to hit a record high this year, reaching 2.4 billion USD, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said at the press conference. He said Vietnamese tra fish had been exported to 138 countries and territories around the world. About 350 tra fish-raising establishments in the Mekong Delta region with a total area of nearly 3,120 ha have been certificated to meet Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP) standards. This year, the country expects to yield a tra fish output of 1.68 million tonnes. By November 15, 2022, the country's tra fish export value reached 2.23 billion USD.  Tien said the fishery sector could rake in a record high of 11 billion USD from exports this year and that tra fish is among the key products of great contributions to the growth. According to the Vietnam Tra Fish Association, 2022 marks a successful year for producing and trading tra fish in the Mekong Delta region as domestic tra fish prices are maintained high after businesses have boosted exports. Last year, Vietnam's tra fish export value reached about 1.62 billion USD, marking an increase of 8.4% compared to 2020. Early this year, Vietnam set a target of 1.6 billion USD from exporting tra fish in 2022. Major markets of Vietnamese tra fish include China which consumes nearly 30% of Vietnam's exported tra fish, the US (nearly 23%), countries joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) (more than 13%), the EU (8.2%), and Brazil (3.7%)./.