According to the Mindanao Business Council (MinBC) local fish growers should come forward and participate in the propagation of pangasius (catfish species from Vietnam) to establish more production. Vicente Lao, MinBC chair, brief the press saying that Mindanao is importing 50 containers, equivalent to about 20 tons of pangasius fillet from Vietnam every month. He said Mindanao has a great potential if pangasius propagation is intensified.
Lao also informed that the regional office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is actively pursuing it. Mindanao has the appropriate bodies of freshwater to propagate the species. Lao told that it is easy to cut the cost of production such as feeds by using rice field snail, locally know as “kuhol” (cooked and crushed) as an alternative. At trhe same time Lao also said that the farmers need not have to worry about feeding the fish as pangasius eats everything.
Lao opined that MinBC sees the bright potential of pangasius, including it to the list of investment opportunities in Mindanao during the Mindanao Investment Conference held in the city last year. It is a growing business now and has the potential to have good business so the authority is bringing everybody, the companies which will be part of the supply chain.
