Mekong Delta: Shrimp exports aim for US$2.55 billion

To fulfill the target, Mekong Delta provinces are using 596,000 hectares of water surface for shrimp breeding; 580,000 hectares of which are used for black tiger shrimp farming and the rest is for whiteleg shrimp and giant freshwater prawn production. The coastal provinces of Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Kien Giang, Soc Trang and Tra Vinh are Mekong Delta's farming hubs with total area of 478,000 hectares. In 2014, these provinces hope to reap 381,000 MT of shrimp production, including 300,000 MT of black tiger shrimp and 78,000 MT of whiteleg shrimp.

To prevent diseases on shrimp, local authorities are upgrading irrigation system, strengthening to control waste treatments and the production of shrimp seed. A part of superficies for industrial shrimp production in some provinces lacking clean water supply for aquaculture are shifted into semi-intensive or innovated intensive farms.

Local farmers are guided to apply sustainable measures to treat water environment in grow-out ponds.

Local authorities are intensifying inspections of producers and traders of aquatic drugs and feed to prevent the usage of banned chemicals in aquaculture.

Farmers in Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Ben Tre and Kien Giang provinces were offered loans totally worth VND500 billion to renovate their shrimp ponds and buy feed and shrimp seeds for cultivation. Can Tho city, Ben Tre and Hau Giang provinces are expanding more 65 hatcheries of freshwater giant prawn, supplying 800 – 900 million shrimp seed to farmers.

In 2013, the Mekong Delta had more than 588,000 hectares of shrimp production area, and produced nearly 380,000 MT of shrimp, contributing 92 percent and 79.8 percent to nationwide production superficies and output, respectively.

Last year's shrimp export turnover valued at US$2.5 billion. In the first two months of this year, earnings from export were over US$430 million.​