ABOUT 400,000 visses of freshwater products are entering the Shwe Padauk Fish Market in Hline Township, Yangon, daily, ensuring a smooth flow of seafood products to the markets across Yangon and the country, according to the market development committee.
Freshwater products from breeding ponds in Ayeyawady Region, Yangon Region, and Bago Region are arriving daily at the market. After the Thingyan period, extreme heat affected some fish ponds, forcing pond harvesting and resulting in a large influx of freshwater products into the fish market, which caused fish prices to decline. But, during this season, the market is normal with regular inflows of aquatic products.
“The freshwater inflow became normal only recently. At the end of April, fish entered the market in large quantities, causing prices to fall from K7,000 to K5,000. This month, fish inflow has returned to normal, though trading still needs time to recover to previous levels. In the fish market, sales are usually good during public holidays in the first half of the month. Saltwater business operators are benefiting this season by selling products from cold storage facilities. Fish farmers can lose their markets when weather conditions worsen. During the rainy season, seasonal products such as spiny goby fish, Chitala chitala, Shing fish, Macrognathia and catfish will enter the market, and it is likely to reduce freshwater product prices,” said U Maung Naing, secretary of the market development committee.
The freshwater products are also exported to Bangladesh, Dubai and Saudi Arabia, like the saltwater products, despite the transportation and payment difficulties compared to previous years. Fish farmers are breeding and producing fish according to the size specifications requested by importing countries. Due to annual freshwater aquaculture production, Myanmar is ready to export certain fish varieties to meet foreign demand. The emergence of a strong freshwater market will benefit both the country and fish farmers, and the businesspeople hope for a new freshwater market through cooperation among countries.
The Shwe Padauk Fish Market and Sanpya Fish Market in Yangon distribute freshwater products nationwide daily, and freshwater products continue to be distributed nationwide from Yangon’s Shwe Padauk Fish Market and Kyimyindine Fish Market without supply shortages despite extreme heat affecting fish ponds in April. — Thitsa (MNA)/KTZH
