Popularly known in the market as cream dory, pangasius has been proven to be a good raw material in the processing of value-added products like bacon, fish ball, fish cakes, sausage, hotdog, tocino, chicharon, patties, among others.
Pangasius is considered as the third most important fresh water fish group within the aquaculture sector. It can be grown locally and can be cultured in all sizes of habitat, from backyard to large scale. It is noted for its adaptability to waters with low levels of dissolved oxygen, RODG head Undersecretary Merly M. Cruz explained.
DTI records showed that since 2008, the Philippines has been importing the fish from Vietnam at an average of 30 - 40 container vans or 600MT valued at USD1.650 million yearly.
We intend to reduce the importation, thus, we embarked on the pangasius project purposely to also address the food security program of the government and to provide doable work programs and fundable livelihood projects to targeted income groups, Cruz explained.
Cruz said that DTI has developed the Industry Plan for Pangasius and to date, the pangasius industry has already six projects in place: the Pangasius Organic Farming, Fishpond Nursery and Fish Processing Facility in Magungaya Center for PALMA Alliance; Pangasius Cart in Tandag, Surigao del Sur, Demo Farm on Organic Pangasius at San Simon, Cagayan de Oro; and the TDP Project in General Santos City for Tateh and BMEG Feeds.
It is a viable and growing industry we have monitored 48 expansion projects that are being developed in various parts of the country now, Cruz added.
She said four projects have been approved for financing amounting to P4,271,010 broken down as follows: P3.8m for Magungaya Center for PALMA Alliance; P150,000 for Samahang Mangingisda at Magbubukid ng Barangay Cawayan (SMMBC) in Real, Quezon for its Pangasius Cart Project and Nursery-Hatchery Facility; P15,000 loan amount for the Soccorohon Employees MPC for the Pangasius Food Cart Project of Mr. William G. Fabio and P306,010 for the establishment of small scale feed mill facility in Butuan City.
She outlined the industry's accomplishments', among which, the establishment of 15 new markets and eight market linkages, development of 38 new products which include 26 menus, 22, value added products, development of three new brands: La Pangga, Santa Marta and Carm Foods and the strengthening and sustaining of 20 organizations.Filipinos are particularly reliant upon marine waters but human economic activity and climate change has driving transformation in our marine ecosystems. The fish catch has reduced significantly and affected not only the deep fishing operators and fish processors but also the lowly municipal fishermen, Cruz explained.
She said that under the Industry Plan for Pangasius, DTI will develop a total area of 270 hectares, create 2,700 jobs and produce 614MT of fillet.
Pangasius could be harvested within six months and has a survival rate of 95 percent. Our underutilized/abandoned fishponds and water resources like spring, river and marsh are tapped to culture fish stocks such as pangasius, Cruz added.
Building on over three decades of trusted leadership, VASEP is proactively shaping a Dynamic Knowledge Ecosystem where data is transformed into actionable value and forward-looking insights for the business community
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) An Giang is focusing on expanding climate-adaptive marine aquaculture models, aiming for safe and sustainable production. This approach not only enhances economic efficiency but also helps fishermen stabilize their livelihoods amid weather fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first 10 months of 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export value to China (including Mainland China and Hong Kong) reached $483 million, up 1% compared to the same period in 2024. October alone posted $73 million, a strong 19% increase year-on-year. The Chinese market currently accounts for nearly 27% of Vietnam’s total pangasius export value.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to data from Vietnam Customs, the country’s lobster exports posted another strong month in October 2025, reaching $93 million - a 75% increase from the same month in 2024. This performance extends the sector’s impressive growth streak from earlier in the year, pushing cumulative exports for the first 10 months to $712 million, up an extraordinary 135% year-over-year. Within the product mix, green lobster remained the dominant driver, accounting for 98% of total export value, with $700 million recorded in the first 10 months - a 141% jump year-on-year. In contrast, exports of spiny lobster and other lobster varieties declined slightly by 22% and 1%, respectively, indicating that market demand is becoming increasingly concentrated on the most sought-after product line.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Currently, Da Nang City has no fishing vessels detained, sanctioned by foreign authorities, or criminally prosecuted for IUU fishing violations. Patrols, monitoring of marine fishing activities, and handling of violations have been prioritized by competent forces, significantly reducing nearshore fishing infringements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel in the first nine months of 2025 reached just over USD 27 million, down as much as 49% compared to the same period in 2024. This is a steep and prolonged decline for many consecutive months, reflecting changes in import demand as well as shifts in the supply structure of this market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first 700 tons of Vietnamese tilapia ordered and imported by JBS Group will initially be distributed through supermarket chains, the Horeca network and JBS’s product showrooms in Brazil.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In October 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius exports hit $217 million, representing an 8% increase compared to the same month in 2024. For the first 10 months of the year, total export value has surpassed $1.8 billion, up 9% year-on-year. This growth demonstrates clear positive momentum for the pangasius industry, despite continued declines in certain markets.
In recent days, the Central provinces of Vietnam have been suffering from historic flooding, with prolonged heavy rains, landslides, flash floods, and deep inundation causing extremely serious impacts on tens of thousands of households, as well as many VASEP member exporters located in the region. With the spirit of mutual support and solidarity, and in order to promptly assist residents and member exporters in the affected areas to stabilize their lives and restore production activities, VASEP calls on all seafood exporters, organizations, and individuals to extend supports to the people and member exporters in the flood-hit areas. We urge timely and practical material and spiritual contributions to help member exporters and local communities in the severely affected provinces overcome this difficult period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the final days of October 2025, Vietnam’s domestic raw shrimp market remained generally stable, though slight adjustments were recorded in several sizes across key farming regions.
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
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