Quality Management Practices of Intensive Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Farming: A Study of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Nguyen Thi Kim Quyen, Huynh Van Hien, Le Nguyen Doan Khoi, Nobuyuki Yagi and Anna Karia Lerøy Riple
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Nguyen Thi Kim Quyen: Department of Fisheries Management and Economics, College of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Cantho University, Cantho City 94000, Vietnam
Huynh Van Hien: Department of Fisheries Management and Economics, College of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Cantho University, Cantho City 94000, Vietnam
Le Nguyen Doan Khoi: Department of Scientific Research Affairs, College of Economics, Cantho University, Cantho City 94000, Vietnam
Nobuyuki Yagi: Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Anna Karia Lerøy Riple: Department of Biology, Fisheries and Economics, The Arctic University of Tromsø, 9019 Tromsø, Norway

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: Continuous warnings on quality and food safety of shrimp products from importers have led to increases in port rejections. This has increased awareness amongst Vietnamese farmers for conducting shrimp farming according to specific certification guidelines. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the situation of quality control and effectiveness of Good Aquaculture Practices (GAP) in Vietnam (VietGAP) for intensive shrimp systems by making a comparison between VietGAP and non-GAP applied farms. The farmers in the GAP system performed well on seven control points related to quality management, especially regarding reservoir construction, water monitoring, and chemical use. Of the farms, 49% reported disease, and the ratio of safety rejections was low. The farmers in non-GAP farms appeared to have weak practices in quality control with high usage of antibiotics, leading to 64% of farmers reporting disease and 20% of tested shipments being rejected. The VietGAP applied system has the potential to deal with disease and quality problems to increase export opportunity for Vannamei shrimp. However, VietGAP does not generate a high price premium in itself because it is not a recognized certificate in the global markets. The results reinforce previous findings regarding eco-certification and how it can be a useful tool to reduce small-scale producers’ risk, even though it does not necessarily generate a price premium.

Keywords: diseases; eco-certification; food safety; Litopenaeus vannamei; quality management; VietGAP; whiteleg shrimp (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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