The average fisheries consumption per capita is 55.9 kilograms per year with nearly 70% of those coming from freshwater fisheries; the consumption in the areas with annual flooding is higher than coastal areas; the Cham minority people group consumes more fish than other groups.
Viet Nam is globally ranked at third position on the world in fisheries production; its MRD is the most concentrated and developed fisheries area, contributing about 43% marine capture production, over 70% of inland capture yield, 73% of aquaculture production and about 51% of national fisheries export values (General Department of Statistics, 2010).
Currently, fisheries products have been considered as the safest animal products. According to FAO (2004), in the last 40 years, the demands for fisheries products have been increased by 3% per year, higher than population growth rate of 1.7% per year. In 2006, average fisheries consumption was 16.8 kilograms per capita per year and roughly reached 19.1 kilograms per capita per year in 2015 in the world, while the local consumption in Vietnam was 19.4 kilograms per capita per year in 1999; 22 kg in 2007 and 26.4 kg (Le Xuan Sinh, 2010). It can be seen that, the fisheries consumption per capita in Vietnam is always higher than the one in the world and the consumption in MRD is often twice higher than the national consumption.
However, information on domestic markets, especially the attributes of household consumption is still limited. This study was conducted in order to understand the status, key impact factors and consumption trends at household level in MRD and recommend key solutions to improve fisheries supply and relative supportive policies in
Research methodology
This study had been conducted from Nov 2010 to June 2011 with total interviews of 1,200 fisheries households in ten MRD provinces of Long An, Tien Giang, Dong Thap, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, An Giang, Can Tho, Soc Trang, Ca Mau and Kien Giang. Of which, information on the total of 1,112 interviewed households have been analysed, including 347 households in urban areas (31.2%) and 765 households in rural areas (68.8%); belonging to four people groups of Kinh (81.8%), Khmer (11.7%), Chinese oversea (3.5%) and Cham (3.0%). The secondary data was collected from relevant documents, available research and from VASEP, FAO...
The three main research methodologies were applied. Description statistic aims to describe the existing status by using various indicators such as average values, standard deviation, maximum and minimum values, frequency, and percentage, etc. The multi-option questionnaires and cross-section tables were also used to analyse awareness of consumers. Statistic tests were selected to test the differences in average values of key target indicators/parameters such as areas (rural or urban), ecosystems (inland or coastal), people groups (Kinh, Khmer, Chinese, Cham…). Use single regression analysis to formulate the fisheries demand function; use multi-variable regression analysis to determine impact factors on fisheries consumption per capita per year.
General information on surveyed households
On average, a rural household has 4.6 persons, higher than urban household (4.3 persons). Women always play an important role in family expenditure in all households (66.3%). The owners of over 65% of the total urban households finish secondary school education or higher, while 11.5% of the total rural households are illiterate.
Agriculture is the key occupation of 50.5% of the total rural households and contributes 55.6% of their total annual incomes. About 28.9% of the total rural households have employed members, either as a workers or government officers. About 29.3% of the urban households involve in trading activities, which contribute about 54.2% of their total annual incomes. Meanwhile the number of worker/government officer employed households account for higher percentage of 40% of the interviewed households, but contribute only 26% to the total incomes of households.
Note: if “a”; “b”; “c” and “d” on the same row are different, their deviation has statistical meaning
The average annual income per capita in the urban areas is 1.4 times higher than the one in the rural areas. Due to the diversity of production, the income deviation between rural and urban group is high (VND 37.0±76.2 millions versus VND 25.2±74.0 millions). The difference in average income between inland and coastal areas also has a statistical meaning at 5%.
The monthly average living expenditure is VND 0.6±0.4 millions per capita, of which about 2/3 of monthly expenditure is for food and beverage. Food and food-stuff cost accounts for 77.8% of the food and beverage costs. In general, living expenditure in urban areas is 1.1 - 1.3 times higher than rural areas and the Chinese-origin people’s living costs are 1.5 times higher than other people groups.
The average annual saving per capita is VND 19.6 millions. Urban residents’ saving capacity is 1.4 times higher than rural residents. Chinese-origin people have the highest income and saving capacity (respectively VND 44.0 millions and VND 32.5 millions per capita per year), followed up by the King people and Khmer people; Cham people group have the lowest income and saving capacity (VND 8.9 millions and VND 1.3 millions).
Food-stuff consumption in households
Popularly consumed food stuff. Freshwater fisheries products and pork meat are consumed by from 40% to 60% of interviewed households because they have rich nutritional values, good tastes and safe. However, only 3.1% of the interviewed Cham households, who are not Muslim, consume pork meat.
Fisheries products have been consumed most. However, as their average prices are low, total purchased values are also low (account for only 13% of the total food-stuff expenditure). Poultry and egg also account for low percentage of from 9% to 20%. The food-stuff quality is rated as good (over 70%) but considered the same as before. However, the prices have been increased (over 80% of the interviewed households confirmed this). 85% of the households said they have to pay more for the same quantity of consumed food-stuff.
Self-supplied food stuff. About 34.5% of the questioned households can be self-subsistent on food-stuff, of which 12.1% are in urban areas and 45.6% are in rural areas. Self-supplied food-stuff is placed in 4 categories. Captured fisheries products account for 7.4% of the total self-production households. Consumed products are mainly freshwater fishes, which were captured in free time and not considered as their main occupation. The volume of captured products, which is kept for household consumption, is about 68.7 kilogram per year, accounting for 0.2% of the total captured yield. This rate of family consumption is lower than the one found in the study done by Le Xuan Sinh et al. in 2010 (0.5%). Aquaculture products account for 8.1% of the total self- production households.
Aquaculture is one of the main employment in rural areas. The volume of aquaculture products, which is kept for household consumption, is about 96.7 kilogram per year, of which 96.9% is live products.
Poultry and egg are produced by many rural households at home as they can take advantages of available agriculture by-products and lands to raise them. About 72.2% of the interviewed households raise chicken because of their high nutritional values and simple culture process. Chicken products kept for family self- consumption comprise of 177 eggs and 28 kilograms of chicken per year.
Only 0.7% of the households consume their self-produced pork meat, especially in festivals and parties (about 60.1 kilograms per household per year). They normally sell market size pig as a whole piece.
Fisheries products consumed by householdsThe average fisheries product consumption is 234.9 kilograms per household per year. Rural households consume more than urban ones (238.2 kilograms per household per year versus 227.9 kg), while the average consumption per capita per year is higher than in urban (56.1 kg versus 55.9 kg). However, both the differences do not have a statistical meaning.
Self-supply fisheries products account for 4.3% of the total consumed products (5.5% for rural households and 1.6% for urban households). Fisheries products consumed are classified into sea fishes and freshwater products, which respectively account for 28.5% and 67.3%.
The difference in sea fishes and freshwater product consumption in the inland and coastal families (58.3 kilograms versus 50.9 kilograms) have a statistical meaning because the supply source for freshwater products are diverse with low price. These consumption levels are lower than the ones observed in flooding areas in MRD (77.6 kilograms per capita per year) (Dang Thi Phuong & Le Xuan Sinh, 2010) and lower than the level of 50 kilograms (excluding the purchase from outside) per capita per year of the nearshore capture households in the study done by Le Xuan Sinh et al. 2010.
Cham people have higher fisheries consumption level (60.7 kilograms per capita per year) as they consume less pork than other groups. Cham people always live near large rivers and have traditional capture activities, so that they have the highest rate of fisheries product self-supply (7.1%). Khmer group has the lowest level of fisheries consumption per capita per year because they have the lowest income and alternative sources of low-value food-stuff. However, fisheries production and values consumed per capita per year between different people groups do not have a statistical meaning.
Sea fish consumption. Generally, sea fishes are consumed less than freshwater fisheries products (accounting for 28.5%). On average, one household purchase 67 kilograms per year, equally to 15.9 kilograms per capita per year, of which live products account for 91.4% and dried marine fish 8.6%. The fisheries consumptions of rural households are not significantly different from urban households in terms of both volume and value. However, urban residents often purchase more expensive sea fishes. Inland residents consume less sea fishes than coastal residents (15.5 kilograms per capita per year versus 16.6 kilograms per capita per year) as coastal areas have more sea fish supply. The average prices of sea fishes in inland areas are also higher than coastal areas because of the transportation costs and middle transactions.
The frequency of sea fish purchases of interviewed households is once every 8.8 days. The sea fish volume purchased in each time is from 0.5 to 1.5 kilograms, depending on the number of family members and sea fish type. The average price is VND 54.4 thousands per kilogram in urban areas and VND 42 thousands per kilogram in rural areas. The households buy about one kilogram of processed sea fish at a time for using in over half of month. The price of dried sea fishes is about VND 54.2 thousands per kilogram. About 48.8% of the interviewed households assess the quality of live sea fishes as good, while 42.3% of those households assess processed sea fishes as moderately good.
The sea fish consumption of the Kinh and Khmer is the highest (16.7 kilograms and 13.7 kilograms respectively). The consumption of Chinese group is low (9.9 kilograms per capita per year), but consumption value is relatively high (VND 0.6 millions per capita per year) as they often consume higher-valued sea fishes. The Cham people has the lowest level of sea fish consumption in terms of both volume and value (9.1 kilograms and VND 0.3 millions). Generally, the difference in sea fish consumption does not have a statistical meaning between urban and rural areas, inland and coastal areas, and people groups.
Fresh water fisheries product consumption. Freshwater fisheriesproducts are consumed at 158.1±152.5 kilograms per household per year, equally to 37,9±35,1 kilograms per capita per year. Of which, live products account for 97.9%, the rests are dried products and fish sauce. Each household spends about VND 6.9±82.3 millions per year for freshwater fisheries products, equal to VND 1.7±1.5 millions per capita per year, but the expenditures vary significantly between household groups. Freshwater fisheries product consumption on inland areas is 1.3 times higher than coastal areas in flooding seasons.
The frequency of freshwater fisheries product purchases of interviewed households is every 3 days. The volume purchased in each time is only 0.8 kilograms with the average price of VND 45.1 thousands per kilogram. The households buy about 0.8 kilogram of processed freshwater fisheries products at a time for using in over half of month. From January to March, the freshwater fisheries product consumption increases by 107% (in over 32% of the interviewed households) as higher demands in festival seasons (43%). Similarly, from July to September, the freshwater fisheries product consumption also increases (in 45% of the interviewed households) as higher demands in rice harvesting time - farmers need to purchase more foods for their workers (42.5% of the interviewed households).
The freshwater fisheries product consumption of Cham people is the highest at 47.4±44.6kilograms per capita per year, equally to VND 2.1±2.1 millions per capita per year, followed by Chinese, Kinh and Khmer groups at 40.1, 38.2 and 32.3 kilograms per capita per year respectively. However, Kinh people purchase live freshwater fisheries products more frequently (every 3.2 days) with the biggest volume (0.8 kilograms at a time). Khmer people prefer processed freshwater fisheries products.
Therefore, the differences in freshwater fisheries product consumption have statistical meaning between urban and rural areas, inland and coastal areas, and people groups.
Sources of fisheries productsFisheries products for family consumption are mainly supplied by local retailers (78 - 85% of total purchases). Vendors with door-to- door service supply from 15% to 22%. These are two popular sources of supply because they are (i) near the interviewed households’ houses (46.3%); (ii) convenient in processing (46.3%); (iii) with diverse products for selection (20%); and (iv) of good quality (19.9%). Some other reasons include reasonable prices, familiarity or no other choices.
Sea fishes consumed are very diverse with over 30 widely- purchased species such as squid (22.5% of interviewed households), shrimp (19.4%), and mud crab (16.9%), etc. They are selected mainly because of their deliciousness (70.8% of interviewed households); containing necessary nutritional values (14.5%), and improvement of the diet diversification (6.6%).
The widely consumed freshwater fisheries products include local catfish, climbing perch and clarias catfish (respectively 29.2%; 25.3% and 11.7% of the interviewed households). The households interviewed said they are delicious (69.2%), easy for food processing (11.8%); cheap (9.1%). This finding is similar to results of the study done by Dang Thi Phuong & Le Xuan Sinh (2011).
Majority of interviewed households select wild captured products (95.3%) due to their freshness and good quality (57.6%) and safe for human health (24.3%). Aquaculture products are considered to be prone to chemical/antibiotic/feed-related substance contamination. So only some households turn to aquaculture products when the supply from natural exploitation is rare (3.9%).
When grading the consumers’ priority in purchasing fisheries products in ten-score scale, product quality and price are the most important factors (8.9 per 10 and 8.4 per 10 respectively). Other factors such as fisheries species, traceability, trademark, market prices of alternative animal and poultry products, attitudes of the suppliers and the buying, processing convenience all get over 7 scores per 10.
Factors impacting on fisheries consumption per captitaVariation in fisheries consumption by factorsRegression function, in which Y is fisheries consumption volume per capita per year, is determined as Y= 178.3 - 13.9X1 - 6.7X2 - 4.6X3 - 0.071X4 + 15.8X5 - 0.3X6 + 0.7X7.
Factors impacting on the fisheries consumption volume per capita per year at · = 5%.
X1 is the people groups (1=Khmer, 0=Other). The survey in MRD includes 4 people groups, i.e. Kinh, Chinese, Khmer and Cham. Among those, Khmer group consume less fisheries products than others.
X2 is the number of family members. When the number of family members increases by 1 person, the fisheries consumption volume per capita per year decreases by 6.7 kilograms because of economics of scale (purchase volume in one time).
X3 is the frequency of freshwater fisheries product purchases (purchase every certain number of days). When the interval between purchases increases by 1 day, the fisheries product consumption volume per capita per year decreases by 4.6 kilograms per capita per year.
X4 is the pork consumption per capita per year (kilograms). Pork meat is main consumed food-stuff in the households and also an alternative for fisheries products. When the pork consumption volume increases by 1 kilograms per capita per year, the fisheries consumption volume decreases by 0.071 kilograms per capita per year (· = 10%).
X5 is the quality of freshwater fisheries products (1=good; 0=Other). Consumption volume of high and fair quality freshwater fisheries products is 15.8 kilograms higher than medium and low quality ones. This shows that consumers pay more attention to quality of freshwater fisheries products.
X6 is the average purchase prices of freshwater fisheries products (VND 1,000 per kilogram): When price increases by VND 1,000 per kilogram, fisheries consumption per capita per year decreases by 0.3 kilograms per capita per year.
X7 is the ratio between freshwater fisheries volume per total fisheries consumption (%): when this ratio increases by 1%, the fisheries consumption increases by 0.6 kilograms per capita per year.
Price elasticity of fisheries demand. Demand function of sea fish is determined using the QDHS = 28.461 - 0.136PHS formula. Of which, QDHS is the sea fish demand and PHS is the sea fish purchase price.
Similarly, demand function of freshwater fisheries is determined as QDTSNN = 54.09 - 0.30PTSNN. Of which, QDTSNN is freshwater fisheries demand and PTSNN is freshwater fisheries purchase price
Price elasticity of freshwater fisheries and sea fish demands are calculated as 0.136 and 0.36. These elasticity are less than 1, showing that fisheries demands do not vary significantly when fisheries prices change.
Awareness on fisheries consumption. In the survey on consumption trend in the last five years, about 82.3% of the interviewed households say that the fisheries consumption volume remain the same.
Over 47% say that fisheries supply sources are slightly more diverse. About 35.7% say that fisheries product quality does not change while 19.5% say that the quality has declined.
For price variation, about 87.4% confirm that price has been increased; 73.4% believe that fisheries transaction is easier than before because of better transportation service and local markets.
Information service for fisheries marketing is also improved (over 58% confirmed). Almost all fisheries marketing information is obtained from relatives and friends (41.3%) and mass media (TVs and radio 40.7%). Traders/sellers and newspapers/journals are considered to be less reliable by 8.9% of the interviewed households.
Equipment for storage and food processing has been modernized. The diversified fisheries products give consumers more choices (24.1%). According to the report from CRSP Trashfish project (2009), over 40% of the freshwater aquaculture farmers and middle-men say that the supply of high-value freshwater fisheries products will be increased in the future when supplementary services are to be improved.
The biggest obstacle for fisheries product consumption in the households is that the price has been increased continuously, while their incomes are limited (44.6% and 8.3%). Similar to pork meat, price of fisheries products has been increased sharply (by 1.5 to 2% per month on average) and the price gap between farmers and consumers has been widened (from 50% to 150%) (Tran Manh & Nhu Binh, 2011).
Management agencies are urged to promulgate price stabilization policies (40.5%) and solutions to improve incomes for local communities so that the income growth will be faster than consumption price (8.9%).
Consumers also concern more about food safety issues (13,5%) given the inadequate awareness and responsibility of some suppliers and sellers. Many households have tried to cut off living expenditures by reducing the consumption and only purchase the products with clear trademarks, origins and quarantine (20.3%). Some other households meet difficulties in fisheries transportation (3%), inconvenience in purchasing and processing fisheries products (12.7%), poor storage (2.8%),...
ConclusionIn MRD, annual average seafood consumption is 55.9 kilograms per capita per year with nearly 70% coming from freshwater fisheries, mainly live products. Main suppliers are local vendors or retailers. Fisheries consumption in flooding areas is higher than coastal areas. Cham people consume more fisheries products than other people groups.
There are several factors, which statistically-meaning impact on fisheries product consumption volume per capita per year. However, the price elasticity of fisheries demand function is small as seafood are essential source of protein for local communities. The biggest barrier in seafood consumption is that the price has been increased significantly, while consumers’ incomes are limited; and they are more concern about food safety issues.
The government should implement price stabilization policies; strengthening quality inspection and food safety control for all food-stuff. There should be more communication campaigns on consumption information and market studies in order to understand clearly the existing status and future needs. Fisheries suppliers should expand distribution channels, diversify processed products, and conform strictly to food safety regulations and improve supportive
services for consumers.
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By LE XUAN SINH & NGUYEN THI KIM QUYEN
Fisheries Department, Can Tho University
Compiled by LE QUYEN