On May 24th, 2017, Oxfam, the International Collaborating Centre for Aquaculture and Fisheries Sustainability (ICAFIS) and their partners officially launched the project “Sustainable & equitable shrimp production and value chain development in Vietnam” (SUSV), which is funded by EU.

The project, through 2020 in three provinces Sóc Trăng, Bạc Liêu and Cà Mau, has now promoted the signing of nearly 60 value chain link contracts in a bid to control the quality, reduce input price by 15% to 20% and increase selling price by 3% to 5%.

Cà Mau province, the largest brackish water shrimp farming area, is implementing of certification schemes like Naturland, BAP and ASC. On June 29th, 2017, in order to raise the value and promote the brand name of Ca Mau shrimp, SUSV held a dialogue between many shrimp farmers, enterprises and local authorities. After the dialogue, Quốc Việt signed a collaborative agreement of implementing ASC and BAP standards with Đoàn Kết and Tân Long shrimp farming cooperative which benefits nearly 500 shrimp farming households.

SUSV representative speaking with an English customer at the Seafood Expo Global in Brussels, Belgium.

Sóc Trăng, the largest intensive and semi-intensive shrimp farming area, over the past year, SUSV has promoted market connections for almost 20 cooperatives. Recently, SUSV has coordinated with Sóc Trăng province to organize three training courses “TOT technical and technological improvement in shrimp farming”, involved 115 members who are key staff in shrimp cooperatives and management agencies in three provinces Sóc Trăng, Bạc Liêu and Cà Mau. SUSV also coordinated with the Banking Strategy Institute and the State Bank of Vietnam – Cà Mau Branch to organize training courses on accessing loans following the shrimp value chain for more than 30 farmers of the cooperatives. Agribank and Vietinbank representatives and enterprises discussed the solutions for capital reources such asenterprises to sign commitments with banks for the prompt payment to farmers in the chain.

Four goals
On 28 August 2017, SUSV collaborated with Bạc Liêu province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to organize “Vietnam shrimp Forum: Sharing successful shrimp farming experience in the Mekong Delta”. According to Đinh Xuân Lập, Deputy director of ICAFIS, the event attracted around 400 to 500 shrimp farmers and companies, representatives of Directorate of Fisheries, Vietnam Fisheries Society (VINAFIS), Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and Sub – Department of Fisheries together with the Agricultural Extension Center in the Mekong Delta and WWF in Vietnam. The forum shared techniques and experience of the best shrimp farmers while discussing about sustainable supporting policies in the shrimp industry.
SUSV said: “The project envisions a multi-stakeholder approach (including the public, private sector, NGOs and related societies) to develop the shrimp value chain through applying sustainable standards, improve production efficiencies and effective access to finance sources”. The focus is on resource efficiency in food industry, waste management, life cycle management and clean supply chain and especially, the reduction of negative impacts on environment. Like all Oxfam’s projects, main goal is to ensure sustainable livelihoods and improve profits of small and medium scale shrimp producers/processors by complying with responsible standards to improve production.

SUSV’s overall aims to be contributing to the sustainable economic development and poverty reduction in Vietnam through reducing the social and environmental impacts of shrimp industry. There are four specific goals: minimize social and environmental impacts of shrimp industry; small scale shrimp producers have access to adequate financial resources and improve production; small scale shrimp producers have a stronger position in the market; government’s credit policies targeting shrimp and fisheries producers will raise the awareness about sustainable production and consumption.

Inf: VFM