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.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
(vasep.com.vn) Changing markets, shifting buyer demand, and increasingly complex trade barriers are raising a key question for Vietnam’s seafood industry: Where will the new growth opportunities lie in 2027–2029?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As of the end of August 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States reached $21 million, representing a steep 48% year-over-year decline and accounting for 23% of the country's total tilapia export turnover. Frozen fillets accounted for 78% with the remainder consisting of whole frozen tilapia and frozen cuts.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a volatile first half of the year, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Brazil registered robust growth in July and August 2026. In August alone, export turnover reached $19 million, surging 73% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulatively for the first eight months, total export value reached $124 million, reflecting an 8% year-over-year increase.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Besides modifying their boats, many fishermen in Dak Lak province are making efforts to venture out to sea to harvest seafood during the rough sea season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the Responsible Seafood Summit and TCRS Shrimp Summit 2026, organized by the GSA (Global Seafood Alliance) in Bangkok, Thailand, the conversation about the future of the shrimp industry began with one of its most important foundations: seedstock quality.
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