Leveraging natural advantages to enhance product value
Cà Mau has been restructuring its shrimp sector to align with value chain development. The province encourages the formation of cooperative groups, cooperatives, and shrimp farming clubs to improve access to capital and technical assistance. As a result, the improved extensive farming model has been widely adopted by local farmers.
In Thới Bình district, over 32,000 hectares are under extensive shrimp farming, of which about 17,000 hectares apply the improved high-yield model. Farmers have seen clear benefits from using this model, including greater application of scientific techniques, reduced production risks, improved environmental protection, and better-quality shrimp.
Mr. Trần Văn Giới, a farmer in Tân Phú commune, successfully implemented the two-phase improved extensive model on a 2-hectare farm. He stocked 30,000 domesticated black tiger shrimp postlarvae and harvested over 450 kg of shrimp after just over three months. The shrimp reached sizes of 15–16 count/kg. After deducting costs, his net profit exceeded VND 80 million per crop—significantly higher than traditional methods.
Low-cost, farmer-friendly practices
The improved extensive model retains many characteristics of traditional shrimp farming—such as low stocking density, minimal chemical input, and reliance on natural feed sources—while introducing refinements like better seed management, scheduled mineral and probiotic supplementation, and occasional direct feeding. Importantly, implementation costs remain low at just a few hundred thousand dong per hectare, making the model accessible to small-scale farmers.
This model not only reduces production costs but also contributes to environmental improvements by minimizing waste discharge, improving water quality, and promoting clean, green farming practices.
Toward sustainable production and value chain integration
As of 2025, Cà Mau has developed approximately 127,600 hectares of improved extensive shrimp farming linked to value chains, involving over 64,800 households. Average yields reach 550 kg/ha/year, with a projected total output of nearly 71,000 tons for the year.
To further improve efficiency, the province is investing in infrastructure, piloting demonstration farms, upgrading broodstock and input quality, and providing suitable financial support. At the same time, technical training, extension services, and science-based production methods are being promoted.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is encouraging cooperative-based production through access to land, credit, digital technology, and branding support. Cooperatives are being supported to apply safe, organic, and good aquaculture practices (GAP) to meet market demands and enhance product value.
Planning efforts are also underway to consolidate improved extensive farming areas into concentrated production zones, especially in shrimp–mangrove and rice–shrimp ecosystems. These areas are being developed in line with organic and sustainable farming orientations.
With strong local engagement and favorable environmental conditions, Cà Mau’s improved extensive shrimp farming model is emerging as a viable path toward sustainable aquaculture development and improved rural livelihoods.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With continued policy support, technological innovation and close coordination among authorities, businesses and farmers, Vietnam’s pangasius industry is expected to make a strong and sustainable breakthrough during the 2026–2030 period, reinforcing its position as the world’s leading exporter of the fish.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the first four months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to Asian markets showed varying trends across regions and countries. The Middle East recorded strong growth, with Saudi Arabia emerging as the largest Asian market for Vietnamese tilapia. ASEAN markets also expanded significantly, driven primarily by Malaysia. Meanwhile, Japan maintained solid growth, while exports to South Korea declined compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Shrimp and pangasius continued to lead growth, helping seafood exports reach $4.67 billion in the first five months of the year; however, differentiation among product groups and increasingly stringent requirements from importing markets are posing many challenges for the industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Every day, the seafood processing industry in Ca Mau generates large quantities of shrimp heads and shells during processing operations. In the past, these by-products were largely treated as waste, increasing production costs and posing potential environmental risks. However, thanks to advanced processing technologies, materials once considered waste are now being transformed into high-value products, creating a circular economy model within the seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam Clean Seafood Corporation has invested in a 280-hectare super-intensive shrimp farming zone in Tran De Commune, Can Tho City, generating export value of approximately VND 3 billion per hectare per year—around 50 times higher than traditional agricultural production.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.02 billion in May 2026, up 0.6% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 4.67 billion, an increase of 11% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In a rapidly changing global seafood market, timely insights and reliable data are more critical than ever. The Report on Vietnam Seafood Exports in Q1/2026 provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in Vietnam’s seafood production, trade performance, and export trends, helping businesses navigate uncertainty and identify new growth opportunities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) While many major markets continue to experience slow growth, Russia has emerged as a brighter destination for Vietnamese tuna exports in early 2026. Export turnover to this market increased by nearly 55% in the first four months of the year, indicating a clear improvement in demand. Nevertheless, Russia remains a market that should be viewed with both optimism and caution.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports have shown encouraging signs of recovery in 2026. In the first four months of the year, total export turnover reached USD 720 million, up 17% compared to the same period last year. This result reflects improving demand across many markets, as well as the efforts of Vietnamese pangasius enterprises to maintain production, secure orders, and adapt to changing market conditions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first four months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports reached USD 49 million, up 151% compared to the same period in 2025. This impressive growth reflects positive momentum in the tilapia sector, with Brazil emerging as a key driver of growth, while frozen tilapia fillets continued to be the industry's leading export product.
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