(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's seafood sector is making impressive strides as it nears the end of the year. Aquaculture has maintained steady growth, while fishing activities have recovered thanks to favorable weather conditions.
According to a recent report from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, aquaculture production in November was estimated at 576.9 thousand tons, a 4.8% increase compared to the same period last year. This includes 382.5 thousand tons of fish (up 3.9%) and 130.7 thousand tons of shrimp (up 7.7%). For the first 11 months of 2024, total aquaculture production is estimated at nearly 5.2 million tons, reflecting a 3.9% year-on-year increase, with fish contributing nearly 3.4 million tons (up 3.8%) and shrimp 1.2 million tons (up 5.3%).
Among key aquaculture species, pangasius production in November reached an estimated 185.6 thousand tons, up 4.7% year-on-year, with a cumulative total of 1.6258 million tons for the first 11 months, also up 4.7%.
Black tiger shrimp production in November is estimated at 26.1 thousand tons (up 5.7%), while whiteleg shrimp production reached 96.0 thousand tons (up 8.4%). Over 11 months, black tiger shrimp production totaled 260.9 thousand tons (up 2.9%), and whiteleg shrimp reached 894.9 thousand tons (up 6.1%).
Fishing production in November was estimated at 287.9 thousand tons, up 0.8% year-on-year, including 216.1 thousand tons of fish (up 0.8%) and 13.3 thousand tons of shrimp (unchanged). Favorable weather and lower fuel prices, compared to the previous year, supported fishing efforts, especially after two months of recovery from Typhoon No. 3 and continuous tropical depressions in the North Central Coast. Marine fishing production for November is estimated at 266.9 thousand tons, a 0.6% increase year-on-year, bringing the cumulative marine fishing total to nearly 3.4 million tons over 11 months, up 0.6%.
In November, increased demand boosted prices for pangasius and whiteleg shrimp in several provinces. Average pangasius prices in the Mekong Delta were 28,587 VND/kg, with higher prices recorded across various provinces: Vinh Long (29,000 VND/kg, up 455 VND/kg), An Giang (29,196 VND/kg, up 744 VND/kg), Dong Thap (27,500 VND/kg, up 400 VND/kg), and Tien Giang (28,650 VND/kg, up 445 VND/kg) for fish weighing 800 grams to 1.1 kg each.
The average price of whiteleg shrimp (50-60 count/kg) in November was 103,000 VND/kg, up by 5,000-8,750 VND/kg compared to the previous month. In Bac Lieu, shrimp at 50 count/kg was priced at 130,000 VND/kg, while 60 count/kg was 120,000 VND/kg. Prices for iced shrimp (100 count/kg) fell, with Kien Giang reporting 77,000 VND/kg (down 3,714 VND/kg).
Vietnam's seafood export value reached $9.2 billion in the first 11 months, an 11.8% increase year-on-year. Seafood imports in November were estimated at $230 million, bringing the total for the first 11 months to $2.32 billion, down 2% compared to 2023. Major import sources included Indonesia (12%), Norway (11.8%), and China (10.3%), with year-on-year increases of 52.2%, 9.5%, and 22.2%, respectively.
The agricultural, forestry, and fishery trade surplus reached $16.46 billion in the first 11 months of 2024, a 52.8% increase year-on-year. Among the top three trade-surplus categories, seafood achieved a surplus of $6.88 billion, up 17.5%.
For specific products, seven agro-forestry-fishery items exceeded $1 billion in trade surplus during the period. Notably, shrimp recorded a surplus of $3.19 billion (up 20.5%), while pangasius achieved a surplus of $1.72 billion (up 10.1%).