“The industry has been contracting,” David Harvey, agricultural economist for the US Food and Drug Administration told IntraFish. Statistics show that catfish feed purchases have been consistently declining for the past five years, he said.
The high cost of feed and imports of cheaper catfish and similar species from Asia are making it difficult for catfish farmers to stay competitive, Lowery Aquafarms owner Joey Lowery told IntraFish.
Imports of catfish have grown dramatically in the last eight or nine years, he said.
Over the past year, the National Marine Fisheries Service Office of International Trade reports that Catfish varieties shipped from China to the United States have increased dramatically as well.
As of January, imports of the catfish species ictalurus from China had risen from 585,536 kilograms last year to 857,877 kilograms this year, while imports of pangasius had increased from 968,769 kilograms to 1,499,765 kilograms.
Feed is largely soybean-based, and that helps explain why prices for feed are higher, said Lowrey.
At $13.80 a bushel as of April 30, prices for soybeans were up $0.70 over the previous year. That is more than double the $5.61 price per bushel between 1990 and 1992, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
“Some of these guys got into catfish as a way to make money years ago, and now they’re looking at it as ‘I could just grow soybeans on my land,” Garvey said.
The high cost of feed is compounded by the consistently lower labor costs in China, Lowery said.
“I’ve been in the business 26 years, and I would say feed costs have doubled,” Lowery said.
Lower standards in China make it easier for Chinese producers to keep costs down, which gives them an unfair advantage over US producers, Lowery said.
“From a trade standpoint and from a production standpoint, just about any way you look at it, we’re not on a level playing field. Only two percent of seafood is inspected coming into the country. Less than 1 percent is inspected for chemicals,” Lowery said.
If the price of feed starts to decrease, US farmers will have a better chance to compete, Herarvey said.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
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