Prices for the smaller sizes are also strong enough to make this profitable, Chow told Undercurrent News.
A farmer today can fetch RMB 9.60 per kilo for 300/500 sizes, which is the same price they would get for 500/800 in May last year.
“The farmers can harvest the fish quickly at a very good price,” said Chow. “They worry that the price might drop if they keep fish to 500 - 800 grams, which takes one and a half to two months.” “Also fish can die if temperatures get high,” he said.
Liang Chaorong, managing assistant at the Chinese processor Evergreen (Zhanjiang Evegreen Aquatic Product), told a similar story. “The raw material is a problem, because there’s no supply of big sizes,” Chaorong told Undercurrentduring the Seafood Expo Global trade show in Brussels last week.
Uncertainty over the weather means farmers are preferring to harvest when the fish is at 300-500 grams, instead of the 700-900g preferred by processors, said Chaorong.
He said ex-farm tilapia prices in Guangdong are at around RMB 11.90 per kilo for 500/800, RMB 10.40 for 300/500 and RMB 12 for above 800 grams.
Chow quoted lower prices, of RMB 11.60/kg for 500/800, and RMB 9.60 for 300/500. These are still comfortably above levels of May last year (RMB 9.60 and RMB 7.60) and November 2013 (RMB 9.80 and RMB 7.80).
Both Chaorong and Jason Carter, who co-founded the tilapia supplier Elite Seafood, said supply was currently short.
“Supply is still very short and we don’t expect this to change until August,” Carter told Undercurrent.
“Demand seems to be quite strong, with packers still buying raw material and I haven’t heard of anyone stopping production due to high raw material pricing,” said Carter, who’s company Elite is expanding its farming areas. “We will see some price relief but I don’t think that this will be until August when we see more supply.”
Higher proportion of 300/500
For the market, the result for now is a short supply of 500/800 and 800+ sizes.
The 3/5oz packs preferred by US foodservice buyers and some retailers are now made with more 300/500 and fewer 500/800, said Chow.
Normally, a 3/5oz pack would consist of 60% 500/800, and maybe 20% 800/1,200 and 20% 300/500. But today, Chow said the breakdown is likely to be closer to 40-55% of 300/500, just 10% of 800/1,200 and the 500/800 making up the rest. “It does not say that there is no 500/800, just that there is more 300/500.”
300/500 sizes are usually used for filleting 2-3oz, whilst 500/800 are used to process 3-5oz fillets.
As long as the bags are bigger than 500g, it is easy to do 3/5oz, said Chow.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The United States remains one of the largest export markets for Vietnamese pangasius. In the first four months of 2026, pangasius exports to the US reached USD 106 million, up 4% compared to the same period in 2025. In April 2026 alone, export value totaled USD 38 million, marking a 20% year-on-year increase and the first positive growth recorded after an extended period of decline.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) While Vietnam’s shrimp exports to many major markets continued to post positive growth in the first months of 2026, exports to the United States declined, highlighting growing competitive pressures and trade barriers facing the Vietnamese shrimp industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Egypt is emerging as one of the most promising destinations for Vietnamese tuna exports in 2026. During the first four months of the year, export turnover to this market exceeded USD 7.3 million, marking a sharp increase compared to the same period over the previous two years. As Egypt’s tuna imports continue to recover and demand for canned tuna remains strong, the market is becoming increasingly attractive for Vietnamese tuna processors and exporters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the first four months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to CPTPP member countries reached nearly USD 128 million, accounting for 18% of the country’s total pangasius export value and increasing by 21% compared to the same period in 2025. Demand patterns varied significantly across the bloc: Mexico primarily imported fresh and frozen pangasius products, while Japan and Canada recorded substantial shares of processed products. Australia remained focused on frozen fillets but continued to maintain a portion of processed imports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Despite the slow recovery of the U.S. market and continued trade-related challenges facing Vietnam’s shrimp industry, Minh Phu Seafood Corporation (MPC) has set ambitious targets for 2026. The company aims to produce 68,800 metric tons of finished shrimp products, generate consolidated revenue of VND 19.9 trillion, and achieve VND 1.059 trillion in pre-tax profit. If achieved, these figures would represent the highest revenue and profit levels in the company’s history.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) HungHau Foods Joint Stock Company (HungHau Foods) has been honored at the 33rd Asia-Pacific Economic Forum, receiving two prestigious awards: “Top 10 Outstanding Asia-Pacific Enterprises 2026” and “Top 10 Outstanding Entrepreneurs” awarded to HungHau Foods CEO, Ms. Nguyen Yen.
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