According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), production continued to grow in September, with brackish-water shrimp farms entering their peak harvest season, tra fish production remaining stable and favorable marine fishing conditions helping ensure supplies for domestic consumption and export processing.
During January–September, output included 5.41 million tons of fish, up 2.8%; nearly 1.38 million tons of shrimp, up 7.1%; and 1.1 million tons of other aquatic products, up 5.8%. Aquaculture remained the main growth driver, supported by technological applications that improved productivity, quality and efficiency.
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Workers process octopus for export to the Japanese market at Huy Nam Company in An Giang province. |
In the Mekong Delta, shrimp-rice and shrimp-mangrove farming models continued to deliver results, while high-tech intensive farming expanded. Stable tra fish production and growth in tilapia and marine aquaculture also helped diversify supplies.
According to the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), shrimp exports reached USD 3.75 billion in the first nine months, up 11% year-on-year and accounting for about 41% of total fisheries export revenue.
However, slower growth in September reflected intensifying supply competition and weaker market absorption. As harvesting peaked in several localities, white leg shrimp prices fell in parts of the Mekong Delta, highlighting the need to coordinate harvesting, purchasing and processing to protect farmers’ incomes.
Tra fish exports totaled USD 1.74 billion, up 10.7%. VASEP said tighter supplies of some wild-caught whitefish have created opportunities for Vietnamese tra fish, whose competitive prices and stable supply are attracting greater interest in several markets.
Kyokuyo’s continued introduction of the product through professional distribution channels in Japan is a notable development although the market remains relatively small, VASEP noted.
In key Mekong Delta provinces, raw tra fish prices remained favorable, supported by strong demand from processing plants preparing for the year-end export peak.
The MAE forecast that raw shrimp and tra fish prices could recover in the fourth quarter as supplies tighten and businesses step up purchases ahead of the year-end consumption season.
Phung Duc Tien, Chairman of the Viet Nam Fisheries Society, said the 12-billion-USD export target remains achievable given solid output growth and generally favorable market conditions. However, he noted, any fourth-quarter slowdown would not necessarily reflect raw material shortages but also impacts on economic efficiency amid rising material and fuel costs.
VASEP forecast that exports could lose momentum in the fourth quarter after accelerating in the third as many orders for year-end consumption have been delivered early. China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) markets are expected to provide support but might not fully offset weaker demand in the U.S., the European Union and Japan.
To achieve the annual target, the sector needs to further stabilize raw material supplies, improve product quality and production efficiency, strengthen disease control and align farming with market demand. Closer links among farmers, fishermen and processors, alongside flexible production planning, product diversification and cost control, will be essential to maintaining competitiveness and increasing value across the supply chain.
Source: VNA