Giant river prawns are resilient to disease, easy to raise, and require little capital. They also offer high and stable profitability and flexibility in how farmers can raise them.
Thoi Binh district is one of Ca Mau province’s main producers of prawn and rice. In 2017, the area for giant river prawn farming increased by 4,000ha, raising the total area in the province to over 12,000ha. Prawns are bred in the dry season and rice in the rainy season on the same land as part of a crop-rotation model.
The shrimp-rice rotation model has been very effective, according to the district’s Devision of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The giant river prawns are consistently priced at more than 100,000 VND (4.4 USD) per kilo, and each hectare of farmland brings at least over 50 million VND.
Kien Giang province has also seen a spike in giant river prawn output, with over 11,500ha of land and output of 8,400 tonnes in 2017, which is 113 percent higher than originally planned.
Vinh Thuan district’s giant river prawn are priced 30,000 VND per kilo higher than average because they are farmed with only organic materials.
A few years ago, water pollution, drought, salinity and the effects of climate change adversely affected shrimp farming in the Mekong Delta. Some farmers incurred losses and the area for shrimp farming shrunk.
Dong Thap province, for example, had to reduce its shrimp farmland from more than 1,130ha to nearly 250ha between 2013 and 2017.
Provinces had to spend billions of VND and research a variety of farming methods to save the giant river prawn farming sector.
Recently, to revive giant river prawn farming, the National Agriculture Extension Centre (NAEC) has been working with provinces in the Mekong Delta to promote crop rotation such as the shrimp-rice model.
The shrimp bred under this particular model are considered “clean” because farmers do not use chemicals. Also, the field soil is better and provides natural food for the shrimp.
Crop rotation models have brought 70-80 million VND of profit per hectare on average per year, and offer great protection against climate change and salt intrusion, according to Kim Van Tieu, deputy director of NAEC.
While different models have increased quality, output and area for farmland, the supply of juvenile prawns is still limited.
Most supply comes from Thailand and China, so farmers can do little to control the quality of supply, and the price is determined by traders.
According to Binh Thuan province’s Hung Phu Juvenile Fishery Company, the domestic supply of juvenile giant river prawns only makes up 10 percent of the country’s demand, while the rest must be imported.
VNA
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) June 2026 brought encouraging signs for Vietnam's tuna exports, with export value rising 20% year-on-year to nearly USD 72 million. However, this increase has yet to offset the prolonged slowdown seen in key markets such as the European Union (EU), where import demand remains weak. The outlook for the second half of the year is expected to become more challenging as freight rates continue to climb.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will organize the Domestic Seafood Supply–Demand Matching Program on the morning of August 20, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to foster direct business connections between Vietnamese seafood producers and processors and domestic distributors, retailers, and foodservice channels.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Cooking Show will be one of the most engaging experiential highlights of Vietfish 2026. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, 2026, at Hall B1, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, the event will offer visitors a vibrant culinary space where Vietnamese seafood is showcased through its flavors, stories, and real-life culinary applications.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius exports reached USD 205 million in June 2026, up 5% compared with the same month in 2025. Cumulative export value for the first six months of the year totaled USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 12% year-on-year. Growth was primarily driven by strong demand from China and CPTPP markets, while exports to the United States and Brazil continued to decline.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2026, Ha Tinh province continued to implement comprehensive solutions to combat IUU fishing; strictly manage the fishing fleet, control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, operate vessel tracking devices, trace the origin of seafood, and severely punish violations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's tilapia exports reached USD 7 million in June 2026, down 32% compared with the same month in 2025. Nevertheless, thanks to strong growth in the first five months of the year, cumulative tilapia exports in the first half of 2026 totaled USD 69 million, up 67% year on year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Sa Giang Import-Export Joint Stock Company, a member of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), has been honored with the "Famous Brand - Competitive Vietnamese Brand 2026" certification at an award ceremony organized by the Vietnam Intellectual Property Association (VIPA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) China imported nearly $1.4 billion worth of Vietnamese seafood in the first half of the year, a 40% increase compared to the same period last year, surpassing the US to become the largest export market for the industry.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn