Vietnamese four-eyed sleeper awaiting official export

Awaiting official export

Mr. Nguyen Van Son, nicknamed the "King of Vietnamese four-eyed sleeper", is the owner of Son Nguyet four-eyed sleeper farm in Rang Dong town, Nghia Hung district, Nam Dinh province. He is concerned about exporting Vietnamese four-eyed sleepers through official channels after establishing a VietGap-compliant production chain.

According to Nghia Hung Aquaculture Association, four-eyed sleepers are mainly exported to the Chinese market, accounting for approximately 70% of total production, whereas domestic consumption makes up the remaining 30%. Nghia Hung four-eyed sleeper has a higher nutritional value and bigger size compared to wild fish, so the price is proportionately higher.

"The Chinese market is particularly fond of this fish. When our four-eyed sleepers are ready for harvest, Chinese traders will place their orders on-site so I only have to collect fish from households and package them", Mr. Son added.

According to Mr. Son, four-eyed sleeper has high nutritional value and great economic benefits. The annual average output can reach between 2,000 and 2,500 tons. Export price to China is stable at 320,000 VND per kilogram. Four-eyed sleeper farmers earn from 400 to 500 million VND a year for every hectare of farming.

Nghia Hung four-eyed sleeper is a large, round, fatty saltwater fish. An 1-kilogram batch of four-eyed sleepers can have 10 to 12 fish. The fish features white, sweet and fragrant flesh with high nutritional value. Farmers in Nghia Hung district are reluctant to cultivate this variety despite the higher prices compared to that of traditional four-eyed sleeper varieties. However, the Chinese market favors this fish. Twenty five years ago, we sold the few batches tons of four-eyed sleeper to China through the unofficial channels. At the moment, the fish is in high demand and our supply are limited", explained Mr. Son.

Four-eyed sleepers' biological characteristics allow them to exude slime when caught, which greatly enhances their environmental adaptability. They do not require cold storage and can easily be transported fresh to processing points in China and Hong Kong.

Although many farming establishments have linked together to form a production chain from seed to output such as Son Nguyet facility and Nghia Hung Aquaculture Association, the path to official export is extremely challenging.

Nam Dinh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development had reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and requested the Chinese government to consider these local aquatic products for official export.

The Department of Agricultural Product Processing and Market Development under MARD has responed the proposals made by Nam Dinh's local government. Accordingly, seafood products comply with 3 main requirements to be considered for official export. These criteria include: the product must be produced at a preliminary processing or processing facility approved by China; the packaging and labeling must provide sufficent information for traceability; the product must be accompanied by a food safety certificate issued by a Vietnamese competent authority.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is currently reviewing, synthesizing and proposing a list of products as well as seafood processing and preliminary processing establishments allowed for official export through Vietnam - China border gates. Consequently, seafood businesses in Nam Dinh are subject to food safety inspection according to Vietnamese and Chinese regulations.

In Oriental medicine, four-eyed sleeper has a sweet and neutral taste. It has the effects of revitalizing body organs, nourishing the liver and kidneys, strengthening tendons and bones, clearing blood vessels, and so on. It can also be used to treat erectile dysfunction, insomnia, fatigue, chest pain, etc.

Concerns regarding farming area 

A serious decline in farming area due to diseases was reported in 2019. According to Nghia Hung Aquaculture Association, the decline is caused by farmers producing fragmentedly following traditional methods with many limitations.

Four-eyed sleepers were fed with fresh food made from crushed fish. Additionally, the pond system is outdated so there is no circulating water collection system. Most farming ponds shared input and output water so pollution and disease easily spread across the farming area.

Mr. Le Van Tuan, Chairman of Nghia Hung Aquaculture Association, believes that agricultural planning determines success. Without proper planning, farmers produced independently and success varied wildly.

When the market was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, many farmers have drawn their lessons in aquaculture. Multiple households in Con Xanh - the main four-eyed sleeper farming area - have invested extensively in building dams and berms to create a circulating water system with separate input and output.

On the other hand, the National Agricultural Extension Center coordinated with local governments to implement 21 fishery extension projects in 2021. A notable project focused on building several commercial four-eyed sleeper farming models utilizing industrial feed. The project resulted in efficient production, reduced disease outbreaks caused by natural food, increased income for farmers. Furthermore, the project helped farmers improve their farming skills and increase the mechanization rate.

The average survival rate of four-eyed sleeper fed with industrial feed reached 81%, which is 1.25% higher than the requirement. The size of one harvested fish reached 90.2 grams, 0.2 grams higher than the requirement; average yield reached 7.3 tons per hectare, 0.1 tons higher than the requirement. The farming model has been welcomed by a multitude of farmers in the province.

However, the current economic development orientation of Nam Dinh province greatly troubles many aquaculture households. The farming area is gradually shrunk to make room for the development of heavy industry.

According to Mr. Son, the main farming area for four-eyed sleeper was located in O Dong and Con Xanh areas in Nam Dien commune. However, O Dong farming area was abolished in favor of Rang Dong industrial zone, so the entire main farming area was limited to Con Xanh. Con Xanh farming area is expected to be taken over by Xuan Thien Green Steel Project.

Many aquaculture households in the coastal area of ​​Nghia Hung wish to receive support from local governments with regards to agricultural planning. The land in the middle of the Ninh Co and Day rivermouths features limestone which is very suitable for the development of aquaculture as well as Nghia Hung four-eyed sleeper.

On April 15, 2016, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development officially announced 69 agricultural products suppliers that are certified for food safety. Namely, Nghia Hung Aquaculture Association, including four-eyed sleeper farming households in Nghia Hung district and Son Nguyet seafood purchasing facility in Rang Dong town was recognized as a "Supplier of green and clean agricultural products" nationwide.