By contrast, raw pangasius prices at the end of 2025 "tend to decrease with sizes over 1kg/piece falling to around 19,500-19,700 VND/kg.
Pangasius production in 2025 is estimated at approximately 1.65 million tonnes, remaining stable or slightly decreasing compared to 2024 due to tightened supply in the second half of the year. Meanwhile, pangasius export turnover by the end of November 2025 officially surpassed $2 billion, up about 9% year-on-year. Full-year exports are forecast to exceed $2.1 billion.
The Association also noted that pangasius farming in the Mekong Delta remains resilient and stable despite challenges such as environmental pollution, disease outbreaks, pathogens and the impacts of climate change. This result is attributed to the reorganization of production and the proactive adoption of advanced technologies to improve productivity and efficiency. The industry is currently undergoing a restructuring process to enhance value added rather than focusing solely on output volumes.
However, climate change has intensified disease risks and degraded water quality (low water levels in upstream provinces and saltwater intrusion in coastal provinces), thereby increasing demand for disease prevention and treatment chemicals, reducing survival rates and driving up costs for medicines and feed. At the same time, with rising fingerling prices and higher production costs coupled with declining raw fish prices, farmers are hesitant about restocking, leading to a year-on-year contraction in pangasius farming area.
Previously, pangasius production costs averaged around 1 USD/kg, but have now risen to 1.2–1.3 USD/kg, exceeding those of Alaska pollock. As production costs for competing products in the same market segment continue to fall, the competitiveness of Vietnamese pangasius is gradually eroding, placing farmers under increasing financial strain.
Recommendations to improve fingerling quality
Despite record-high fingerling prices, the Association stated that: “The quality of seed stock - one of the most critical links in this key value chain in the Mekong Delta - remains very poor. This necessitates a comprehensive upgrading, particularly as importing markets require all stages of the value chain be standardized. Poor fingerling quality results in low survival rates, while erratic weather conditions make fish more susceptible to off-season diseases.”
The Association recommended that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment instruct specialized agencies, such as the Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 2, to work in coordination with provincial Departments of Agriculture and Environment to ensure sufficient resources for producing fingerlings that meet standards required by the Mekong Delta pangasius supply chain. This includes continuing the implementation of the three-tier pangasius seed project (focusing on seed quality, infrastructure and funding).
Regulatory authorities are also urged to align planning with actual demand, moving toward the establishment of concentrated pangasius fingerling production zones. In parallel, traceability systems should be strengthened to meet export requirements, while the continued application of standards such as GlobalGAP and ASC in nursing and intensive farming stages. These measures aim to enhance product quality while ensuring environmental protection and biosafety.
(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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Entering 2026, the U.S. whitefish market has shown complex developments as global cod supply continues to tighten, while the U.S. trade environment becomes less stable. In this context, the U.S. market has had to become more flexible in sourcing alternative whitefish. However, relying heavily on Alaska pollock is not a long-term solution, as it is a strictly managed fishery with quotas and sustainability regulations, limiting any rapid increase in output to offset cod shortages.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Aquaculture, capture fisheries, and seed production activities in Lam Dong in the early months of 2026 continued to show positive signs, with both output and farming area slightly increasing compared to the same period, contributing to maintaining overall industry stability.
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