The standards help farmers achieve stability in production and quality and sell and export their fish more easily, as well as significantly slash costs because fish contract fewer diseases.
Since 2000, the pangasius farming sector has boosted output 36-fold to 1.35 million tones, increased exports of finished products by nearly 40 times to 660,000 tonnes and ramped up export turnover by more than 45 times to USD 1.86 billion. Exports are now shipped to 130 countries worldwide.
Pham Anh Tuan, deputy director of the Department of Fisheries, said consumers in many markets now attach importance to certification such as GlobalGAP in Western Europe and the US and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) in Northern Europe, VNS reports.
The certificates cover environmental protection, food hygiene and safety, social responsibility and product origin.
"VietGAP certificate includes all of these, and will help exporters upgrade to other certificates easily," Tuan said.
Further, the growing global emphasis on food safety and origin of products mean that fisheries products that meet these requirements would be able to enter international markets more easily, she highlighted.
"The application of VietGAP standards will be essential for the aquaculture industry to make products that meet the world market's requirements. But it is true that many agricultural producers including pangasius farmers are reluctant to adopt safe production methods including VietGAP because they think it is expensive and make them uncompetitive," he added.
In response, the prime minister signed a decision earlier this year offering incentives to farmers and businesses for adopting safe production methods and generating high-quality products. The incentives include full funding for baseline surveys, topographical surveys and analyses of soil, water and air samples to identify areas for concentrated production, plus training and financial support for the adoption of VietGAP standards.
The Directorate of Fisheries of Vietnam last year said it would support and provide free services for VietGAP certification, so pangasius farmers would pay the lower certification fee when registering for Good Agriculture Practices (GlobalGAP), ASC or SQF 1000 certification.
MARD has also set ambitious targets for achieving VietGAP certification: 30 per cent of all aquaculture establishments will achieve it by 2015 and 80 per cent by 2020.
"The cost of raising pangasius to VietGAP standards is 20-25 per cent more when compared with traditional methods, but the benefits this safe production method can bring are much more, so many local farmers decide to adopt it," said Nguyen Van Tam of the Tra Vinh Agriculture Extension Centre.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The “Moringa Noodles Salad” product by Sa Giang Import-Export Corporation was honored as one of the “Top 10 Winning Products” at the THAIFEX – Anuga taste Innovation Show 2026, held as part of THAIFEX – Anuga Asia 2026 in Bangkok.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a fairly strong upward trend in 2025, Vietnam’s clam exports entered 2026 with a mixed picture: strong growth at the beginning of the year, followed by a slowdown from March onward. According to Vietnam Customs data, Vietnam’s clam export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached more than USD 38 million, up 2% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius industry is facing new opportunities to expand its development space as many localities and businesses begin promoting marine farming models aimed at diversifying farming areas and adapting to climate change. However, for pangasius to truly “go offshore” and develop into a large-scale industry segment, significant challenges related to technology, broodstock, and markets still need to be addressed.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports in April 2026 reached USD 11 million, up 92% compared to the same period in 2025. This strong growth indicates that Vietnamese tilapia products are continuing to penetrate and expand rapidly in international markets. Cumulative export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 49 million, up 151% year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com) At VietShrimp Asia 2026, disease management trends in shrimp farming are shifting strongly from treatment-based approaches toward proactive prevention through environmental and pond ecosystem control.
(vasep.com.vn) After a period of strong growth, with export turnover reaching USD 38 million in Q1/2026 — up 174% year-on-year — the sector’s rapid expansion clearly reflects growing market opportunities.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the ASEAN bloc reached USD 44 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025. After falling to the lowest level of the quarter at USD 9 million in February — reflecting the seasonal slowdown in orders after the festive period — exports recovered strongly to USD 18 million in March, the highest monthly value of the quarter. This development shows that import demand for pangasius in ASEAN remains relatively stable despite short-term fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On May 11, 2026, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a positive comparability finding for Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries, along with those of Indonesia and Sri Lanka, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With this decision, seafood and seafood products harvested from Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries will continue to be eligible for import into the US market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a slowdown in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Germany showed more positive signs in the first quarter of 2026. However, the recovery remains uncertain as consumer demand in Germany is still cautious, while market competition is increasingly driven by pricing and supply stability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a sharp decline in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel are showing positive signs of recovery in the early months of 2026. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover to this market grew steadily month by month in Q1/2026, reaching nearly USD 10 million, up 33% compared to the same period in 2025. However, compared to Q1/2024, this level remains significantly lower, indicating that the recovery is still in its early stage following last year’s strong adjustment.
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