More Vietnamese catfish companies allowed to export to U.S.

By Toan Dao June 14, 2016 | 06:15 pm PT

Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), has given the nod to additional 12 Vietnamese catfish companies to export to the country, raising the total exporters to 57.

The FSIS made the decision following a proposal from the National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department (Nafiqad) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam, according to a statement from the Vietnamese government portal on Tuesday.

Nafiqad has recommended FSIS reconsider the remaining four companies which the latter has not added to the qualified list yet.

In a catfish processing plant. Photo by Vietnam News Agency/An Hieu

The statement also said the Vietnamese department has asked the newly approved companies to closely control their processing operations to make sure that their export products meet strict requirements from FSIS.

On May 25, 2016, the U.S. Senate voted to cancel the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s inspection program on catfish.

According to Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietnam’s export value of catfish to the U.S. rose 7.2 percent year on year to $151 million during January-April this year. VASEP expects the year on year export value of catfish to the U.S. to increase by about 10 percent to 15 percent in the second quarter.

> Good news for Vietnamese catfish farmers as U.S. Senate votes to end inspections

> Vietnam scales up catfish exports to Thailand