A shrimp processing line in Cà Mau Province. The province’s shrimp output was estimated to exceed 107,000 tonnes in the first half of the year. — Photo baonhandan.com.vn

CÀ MAU — Shrimp exports of the southernmost province of Cà Mau grew in the first half of this year despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade.

The province’s shrimp output was estimated to exceed 107,000 tonnes in the period, a year-on-year increase of 9.5 per cent, while exports raked in about US$400 million, up 16.6 per cent.

This year, Cà Mau, one of the country’s leading localities in aquatic exports, is projected to earn more than $1 billion from shrimp shipments.

COVID-19 has been kept under control in the province as well as its traditional markets such as the US, Europe, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Therefore, demand for the products in the restaurant industry has gradually recovered.

In addition, trade deals like the EU-Việt Nam free trade agreement (EVFTA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) are hoped to help exporters seek new markets.

The province is home to more than 40 export firms and 32 processing plants serving exports with a combined capacity of 250,000 tonnes per year. Its shrimp products have been shipped to 60 countries and territories.

Statistics of the Cà Mau Department of Industry and Trade showed the province’s revenue from shrimp exports to signatories of the EVFTA surged 148.56 per cent and to those of the CPTPP rose 9.8 per cent in the first half of the year against the same period last year.

The province aims to bolster trade promotion via online platforms with foreign distributors and businesses to search for new partners. It will also support local firms to offer their products in prestigious e-commerce marketplaces. VNS