The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta has great demand for advanced technologies to improve its agricultural production and farm and seafood processing for exports, and is seeking to tie up with countries with technological strengths, according to the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Can Tho chapter. Photo baocantho.com.vn
Speaking at a press conference in HCM City on Tuesday to introduce the fourth annual Mekong Delta Investment Conference, Nguyen Phuong Lam, deputy director of VCCI Can Tho, said with its favourable conditions for agriculture, the delta plays a very important role in the country's economy.
It produces 56 per cent of the country's rice, 57 per cent of the seafood, and a large proportion of fruits, he said.
But the use of advanced technologies in agricultural production and processing to add value is not widespread, he admitted.
Besides, the rate of mechanisation in agriculture remains relatively modest, he confirmed.
These factors have resulted in low productivity, value addition, and competitiveness, he said.
The region hopes to collaborate with foreign agri-tech companies to improve its competitiveness, he said.
Lam said VCCI Can Tho and the investment, trade and tourism promotion centres of 13 city and provinces in the region would organise the fourth annual Mekong Delta Investment Conference in Can Tho City on November 11-12 to enable international companies to showcase their technologies.
"We will encourage local companies to develop commercial co-operation with them or co-operate to make necessary technologies right in Viet Nam to exploit the great potential of the Mekong Delta market."
The fourth MekongInvest would be titled "Agricultural Mechanisation and Smart Technologies Development and Investment", he said.
Nguyen Khanh Tung, director of the Can Tho Centre for Investment, Trade and Expo Promotion, told the conference that localities would bring lists of projects seeking investment and spell out their investment incentives and others.
More and more foreign investors are coming to the delta to explore business opportunities, he said.
So far this year 27 foreign delegations with 100 business executives have came to Can Tho and the delta's provinces, most of them from Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and India, he said.
South Korean investors have expressed interest in high-tech agriculture, food and beverage processing, with some Korean companies expressing interest in making Can Tho a smart city, he said.
Japanese investors are keen on agriculture and tourism, he said.
Naoko Umezato, deputy general director of Tokyo-based Brainworks Asia Co Ltd, said the areas in which Japan can contribute to the delta are agriculture, fisheries, urban management, environmental management, information and communication technologies, and human resource development.
A lot of Japanese companies are interested in the delta and so her company would take them there in November, she said.
Lam said foreign direct investment in the region has increased sharply in recent years.
The region attracted 184 FDI projects in 2014, and the figure increased to 371 last year with a total investment of US$3.6 billion, he said.
In the first half of this year the region attracted $1.4 billion in 79 projects, or 12 per cent of the country's total FDI, he said.
With increasing interest among local and foreign businesses, MekongInvest would be an effective forum to boost investment and trade ties between delta firms and foreign partners, he said.
Source: VNS
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports reached USD 81 million in April 2026, down 6% compared to the same period in 2025. In the first four months of the year, export turnover totaled USD 289 million, down 4.8%. Although the overall export picture has yet to brighten significantly, market trends are becoming increasingly diversified rather than moving in a single direction.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius industry is undergoing strong restructuring starting from the broodstock and fingerling segment in order to improve productivity, quality, and export competitiveness. This is considered a critical foundation for the sustainable development of the industry amid rising production costs and increasingly stringent market requirements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Vietnam Customs data, pangasius exports in April 2026 reached USD 206 million, up 18% compared to the same period in 2025 — marking another consecutive month of double-digit growth since the beginning of the year. Cumulative pangasius export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 720 million, up 17% year-on-year, reflecting the positive growth momentum of this key export product.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports in the first four months of 2026 maintained positive growth momentum, reaching approximately USD 1.5 billion, up 15% compared to the same period last year. However, behind this result lies diverging trends across markets, as the global shrimp industry continues to face pressure from inflation, high inventories, price competition, and increasing trade risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Vinh Tuy commune (Kien Giang Province), many shrimp farmers are adopting bottom aeration systems and reporting clear economic benefits, helping increase income and reduce production risks.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first three months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of crabs and other crustaceans reached more than USD 93 million, up 23% compared to the same period last year. The result shows that the sector is experiencing a fairly positive recovery, especially in its two key product groups: crabs and swimming crabs. However, behind the growth figures are several concerns: export markets remain highly concentrated, raw material supply is unstable, and trade barriers from the US and EU are becoming increasingly stringent.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Ca Mau province, many farmers are transitioning from traditional methods to high-tech shrimp farming, adopting recirculating systems with minimal water exchange to improve efficiency and reduce risks. In Hung My commune alone, there are about 260 super-intensive shrimp farming households covering more than 265 hectares, playing a key role in local economic development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first three months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cake and surimi reached USD 63 million, down 5% compared to the same period last year. Although total export value declined slightly due to decreases in some key markets, many other destinations continued to post strong growth, opening up room for this convenience-oriented processed segment in the coming quarters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Favorable weather conditions in the early months of 2026 have brought encouraging signs for fisheries activities in Quang Tri. Output has grown steadily, contributing to improved livelihoods for local residents.
Entering 2026, Vietnam’s seafood industry is facing a period of both high expectations and mounting pressures. Following the positive recovery in 2025, production and export activities in Q1/2026 demonstrated the strong adaptability of Vietnam’s seafood business community amid continued global trade volatility, intensifying international competition, and increasingly stringent compliance requirements in import markets.
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