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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2026, Ha Tinh province continued to implement comprehensive solutions to combat IUU fishing; strictly manage the fishing fleet, control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, operate vessel tracking devices, trace the origin of seafood, and severely punish violations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's tilapia exports reached USD 7 million in June 2026, down 32% compared with the same month in 2025. Nevertheless, thanks to strong growth in the first five months of the year, cumulative tilapia exports in the first half of 2026 totaled USD 69 million, up 67% year on year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Sa Giang Import-Export Joint Stock Company, a member of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), has been honored with the "Famous Brand - Competitive Vietnamese Brand 2026" certification at an award ceremony organized by the Vietnam Intellectual Property Association (VIPA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) China imported nearly $1.4 billion worth of Vietnamese seafood in the first half of the year, a 40% increase compared to the same period last year, surpassing the US to become the largest export market for the industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As part of Vietfish 2026, the International Seafood Hosted Buyer Program has been designed as a dedicated B2B matchmaking initiative for selected international buyers. The program provides opportunities to meet directly with Vietnamese seafood companies, gain market insights, and experience Vietnam's seafood supply chain firsthand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) A Story from Cà Mau’s Coast It’s 5 AM in Cà Mau. Minh, a third-generation fisherman, is ready to set sail. But unlike his father and grandfather, his boat no longer runs on an old diesel engine that burns fuel and clouds the sky with smoke. Instead, it’s powered by a hybrid engine that saves 40% fuel—funded by an ESG program from a major seafood exporter.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius industry is shifting its focus from increasing production volume to enhancing value-added products in order to meet the increasingly stringent requirements of export markets. In An Giang Province—the country's leading hub for pangasius farming and processing—businesses and farmers are prioritizing product quality, traceability, food safety, and sustainable development rather than expanding output.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Following strong growth in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Sweden continued to edge higher during the first five months of 2026. However, the picture is far from straightforward. Orders have fluctuated significantly from month to month, indicating that this market remains cautious, with purchasing decisions closely tied to actual demand and the import cycles of Nordic distributors rather than to a steady upward trend.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports in the first five months of 2026 continued to surpass the same period in 2025, indicating that demand in the world’s largest seafood-consuming market remains strong. However, behind the growth figures lies an increasingly competitive landscape: Ecuador dominates the competitively priced whiteleg shrimp segment, India remains the second-largest supplier, while Vietnam stands out in the lobster segment but still needs to strengthen its advantages through quality, traceability, and reliable supply.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Lobster exports to China continued to surge in the first half of this year, putting the lobster industry on the verge of reaching an export value exceeding $1 billion.
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