New digital app to make Vietnam’s shrimp market transparent

The launch of a mobile application for the Vietnam Shrimp Forum will help it operate more efficiently, make market information transparent, and keep people updated on market prices as quickly as possible.

Shrimp is one of Vietnam's key seafood products for exports. Photos: Viet Uc Seafood Corporation

Vietnam Shrimp Forum is an initiative of the International Collaborating Center for Aquaculture and Fisheries Sustainability (ICAFIS) within the framework of the Sustainable and Equitable Shrimp Production and Value Chain Development in Vietnam (SusV) project and that of the Gender Transformative and Responsible Business Investment in Southeast Asia (Graisea) funded by the European Union, Embassy of Sweden in Vietnam and Oxfam.

Since 2016, the forum has become an annual event to share, discuss and offer solutions related to science and technology, policies, farming models, or pressing issues for sustainable development of the shrimp industry in Vietnam.

Nguyen Hung Cuong, Senior Program Manager of Oxfam in Vietnam said to improve production and business efficiency, any industry needs information. This application solves two important problems including improving the accessibility of factors and stakeholders in the chain and making transparent information between buyers and sellers, updating accurately and timely prices.

The app is expected to help businesses and associations develop the shrimp industry in the most effective way.

Through this application, forum members will be able to exchange experiences, update daily shrimp prices in domestic and global markets, technical instruction videos, shrimp industry policies.

Tran Dinh Luan, Director General of Directorate of Fisheries, said: “All measures we are taking are aimed at how to connect from production to consumption, the supply and demand of goods can be met in the fastest and most convenient way. With this application, businesses and industry associations can all participate in helping to develop the shrimp industry in the most effective way.”

He added that although the shrimp industry has developed rapidly, it still faces many difficulties and challenges. The farming environment has fluctuated, shrimp production costs are still high and precarious, the linkage and cooperation between actors in the shrimp value chain are still fragmented and ineffective, negatively affecting product quality and traceability, reducing the competitiveness of the Vietnamese shrimp products in the international market.

Local experts suggested the application should be added a comment section as well as give more information about input materials so that the parties in the shrimp chain can cooperate towards the sustainable development of the Vietnamese shrimp industry.