Building research capacity to minimize catfish food loss in the Mekong region

Building capacity for in-country research teams

One of the primary goals of the project is to strengthen research capacity for in-country research teams. Researchers had the opportunity to engage in value chain research training, increase their knowledge of social research and data collection skills, and interact with businesses and stakeholders.

Teams were also trained in foresighting techniques, which involve risk analysis by visualizing possible future developments in catfish supply chains.  

Value chain research

Following the training, value chain research tools were developed and tested in preparation for data collection scheduled for July and August 2024. The primary research objective is to assess key value chains in the catfish industries of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Given the important roles that both men and women play in catfish processes, literature reviews on gender were conducted to inform the research.

In May 2024, the Adelaide University’s Centre for Global Food and Resources held an in-person workshop with country teams to identify high-value catfish chains, assess progress, and agree on the value chain approach, focusing on Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Each country finalized key catfish value chains for inclusion in research activities.

Initial stakeholder meetings and interviews were conducted with key informants along the supply chain. Physical and monetary losses were documented from catfish broodstock to fingerlings, through the grow-out stage, transportation, processing, and consumption. These losses were quantified in monetary terms, and other areas of loss were also documented, indicating significant losses throughout the catfish industries.

As this is preliminary research, a more robust, larger-scale survey will be conducted in July and August to refine the value chain analysis and gain deeper insights into food losses and waste, as well as losses in other supply chains.

However, the preliminary research has revealed significant losses in the supply chain, particularly during the fingerling, grow-out, harvest, transport, and processing stages. Consolidated interviews from fingerling farmers, grow-out farmers, transporters, and factories in An Giang Province in January 2024 provided the following information:

• Fingerling stage (90 days): The survival rate has decreased from 10-12% in the past to 2-3% currently, with the highest survival rate at 5%.
• Grow-out stage (8-10 months): Physical loss of fish is up to 30%-50%. Delayed fish harvest results in value losses due to increased feed costs and lower prices for oversized fish. Non-food losses occur when affluent from sediments and farm waters, which can be used to make organic fertilizers and artemia for fingerlings, are not adequately utilized.
• Harvest on farm: 1-2% loss of fish, with a reduced sale price by 86% for dead fish.
• Transport: 4-5% loss from ponds to the boat, and 1-2% loss on the boat, with a reduced sale price by 86% for dead fish.
• Processing: Loss percentages vary depending on the uniformity and quality of the fish, the technical performance of filet workers, and overall inventory. Waste occurs when by-products, such as fish blood, are not processed. High-value collagen products, previously wasted, are now being made from fish skins.

  

Lesson: multidisciplinary and intradisciplinary research in food loss

The project faced challenges in implementing new concepts like foresighting (risk analysis), value-chain mapping, and gender research in the catfish supply chain. However, comprehensive training from experts in these disciplines has significantly expanded the research capacity of the teams in the three Mekong countries. The interdisciplinary nature and inclusivity of the project have been key to this expansion.

By combining their skills, the research team has capitalized on their technical knowledge about aquaculture and farming, factory processes, and physical loss assessment. Economic and social researchers have brought expertise in economic loss analysis, stakeholder engagement, and collaboration with external partners (government and businesses) to understand food and non-food losses. The project aims to use this knowledge to develop robust interventions that minimize loss and waste in the catfish industries in the Mekong Basin.

The project acknowledges the contributions of research partners, including: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam, Department of Fisheries (MARD), University of Economics HCM City, University of New England, Swinburne University, The Australian National University, An Giang University - Vietnam National University, Royal University of Agriculture, Cambodia, National University - Laos, Vinh Hoan Company limited, Vietnam-Australia Joint Stock Company, Nam Viet Joint Stock Company, Sao Mai Joint Stock Company, and interviewed farmers, traders, transporters and processors.