Processing seafood for export using Japanese technology

An abundant source of raw materials

As an island district located in the southeast of Quang Ninh province, Van Don has a natural area of over 2,000 square kilometers, with 551.3 square kilometers of floating land, and at least 600 islands forming of varying sizes that form two archipelagos called Cai Bau and Van Hai.

Van Don sea area is located in Bai Tu Long Bay - home to a variety of forests in addition to hundreds of rocky mountains - which has created a diverse and rich marine and coastal ecosystem, with great potential for development, exploitation and farming of aquatic species with high economic value. The diversity of transport infrastructure including road, waterway, and air is also the strength of Van Don compared to many other areas in the province.

With over 1,600 square kilometers of sea water, aquatic resources in Van Don district are very rich and diverse such as peanut worms, sea cucumbers, geoducks, oysters, sea-acorns, clams, garrupas among many others. Aquaculture, fishing and seafood processing has consequently become one of the strongest occupations associated with the local brands.

Van Don district currently has more than 1,000 households investing in marine aquaculture and over 80 establishments and businesses operating in the production, processing and consumption of aquatic products; This has created employment opportunities for more than 7,500 local workers. The growth rate, area and output of aquaculture in the district are increasing. Aquaculture production in the district has increased 6.8 times over just 4 years from 2016 to 2020, reaching 65,100 tons/year.

According to Ms. Truong Thi Thuy Huyen, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Division of Van Don district, the district has guided and encouraged units, businesses and organizations to invest in deep processing to add value and establish a sustainable development for seafood products emphasizing the local strengths.

Diversifying products, with the goal of exporting

Quang Ninh Seafood Trading and Production Company Limited (Bavabi) has recently invested in a production facility in Dong Xa commune, Van Don district with modern machinery lines to process seafood products into Van Don's key branded products such as shredded oysters, shredded clams, shredded mantis shrimps, shredded shrimps, shredded fish, and shredded Turgid Venus.

Ms. Pham Thi Thu Hien, director of Bavabi company, said that Van Don's advantage lies in the fact that it has a significant source of aquatic species. Local people have farmed and exploited various types of aquatic products but consumption has only stopped at fresh products.

“Fresh products, when caught, are taken away for consumption; it is very difficult to preserve and keep their freshness. With that in mind, I established a company in 2014, purchased seafood from the local people, and then focused on processing it into dry products. This has created more high-quality products for customers", shared Mrs. Hien.

Almost all of the production line is operated with machineries, so food safety, hygiene and the nutrient contents are guaranteed. Even with no preservatives used, the company's product has a shelf life of up to 12 months.

With the purchasing price of different oystertypes ranging from 4,000 to 12,000 VND/kg, the Japanese deep-processed shredded oyster product is priced at 135,000 VND for a 100 gram bottle. These items have raised the level of local agricultural products. Bavabi's Shredded Pacific oyster product has been certified as a 5-star OCOP product.

The Company currently buys approximately 4 tons of raw oysters daily to process into oyster products, which are then distributed mainly through supermarkets and food stores across the country. In addition, Bavabi's products are also distributed through social networks and e-commerce platforms.

Ms. Pham Thi Thy Hien added that, in order to prepare for the recover of the tourism industry after the Covid-19 pandemic, the company is researching to produce a series of dishes prepared from oysters such as fried oysters, oyster sauce, instant oysters. With these extremely convenient dishes, consumers only have to heat them up in the microwave before immediate consumption.

In addition to producing processed products, Bavabi will also participate in the farming stage and enclose the production process in order to stabilize the source of raw materials and ensure the quality of the seed. Moreover, these efforts can also help oysters become an increasingly popular brand, with the ultimate goal of exporting to foreign markets such as Japan, the Europe and so on.

Van Don district encourages the development of key products, including products from seafood. Therefore, the district has focused on improving the quality and output, stabilizing production, and orienting the consumption of these products. Many units and businesses in the district have been actively investing and applying science and technology advances in processing to create high quality products, with the aim to export to potential markets.