Mangroves and Markets project welcomes new private sector partner

SNV is pleased to announce an agreement has been signed with the shrimp processing company Quoc Viet, to support sustainable shrimp production and mangrove conservation in the South of Vietnam.

SNV’s Mangroves and Markets (MAM) project works with smallholder shrimp farmers in coastal areas of Ca Mau Province to enhance the sustainability of the aquaculture sector and improve access to organic certification. To achieve long lasting impacts we seek to strengthen the shrimp value chain by developing direct linkages between smallholders and processing companies. Quoc Viet, the second largest shrimp exporter in Ca Mau, has recently joined the MAM project.

On 3 September, a ceremony was held in Dat Mui Forest Management Unit for signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between SNV, Quoc Viet, the Ca Mau Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and Dat Mui Forest Management Board (FMB). The agreement stipulates that:

Quoc Viet will pay farmers in Dat Mui project area an additional 3,000 VND per kilo of certified shrimp, as well as a payment per hectare of mangrove forest. This will create financial incentives for sustainable shrimp production and mangrove restoration.

SNV will provide financial and technical assistance to smallholders, as well as trainings to the company in order to meet certification requirements. DARD and FMB will continue to support the MAM project and create enabling conditions for successful project implementation.

During the ceremony, all parties expressed their commitment to join technical and financial resources to support smallholder shrimp farmers in increasing their capacities and awareness to achieve organic certification.

SNV country director Miguel Mendez stressed the importance of sustainable production and certification in order to meet changing international market requirements. DARD’s vice director Mr Bang emphasized FMB’s role in forest monitoring and supporting the company and the farmers in implementing the certification programme. Quoc Viet’s vice president Mr. Tuan stated that the company will not only pursue efforts to successfully implement the MoU in the coming years, but that they will try to go beyond the agreement in order to achieve greater impacts. He added that integrated mangrove-shrimp farming is the way forward for the Vietnamese shrimp industry.

The signed agreement marks the beginning of a promising collaboration between diverse stakeholders working towards the common goal of sustainable and inclusive development in the region.