Ca Mau is Vietnam’s largest brackish-water aquaculture area, with over 417,000 hectares of farming zones and an annual output of more than 907,000 tons. Alongside shrimp—the province’s key product—sea crab is emerging strongly, with more than 365,000 hectares of farming area and an estimated annual output of 36,500 tons. However, official export figures for crab remain almost nonexistent, as most exports—valued at an estimated 700 million USD per year—are routed unofficially through border trade and thus are not reflected in the province’s export statistics.
At the conference, businesses pointed out that although the crab value chain is expanding, several challenges persist: seasonal fluctuations in output, weak and unstable market linkages, the absence of a unified traceability system, high logistics and preservation costs, and a lack of international certifications to access high-standard markets. Some countries, such as South Korea, have strong demand but impose stringent technical barriers that hinder market entry.
To enhance value and create stable demand, many enterprises are forming long-term purchasing partnerships with cooperatives, applying traceability technologies, investing in cold storage facilities, and standardizing packaging and transportation to ensure 100% live-crab deliveries. Several large supply chains have been established, providing farmers with greater production stability.
Between 2016 and 2025, Ca Mau’s crab farming area and output grew significantly, with 20,000 hectares achieving international certifications such as Naturland, ASC, and EU Organic. Many ecological crab products have entered major domestic retail chains.
The Ca Mau Department of Industry and Trade outlined five key solutions: diversifying markets and export methods; developing logistics infrastructure for live seafood; promoting digital trade and cross-border e-commerce; supporting enterprises in improving competitiveness and brand development; and strengthening international cooperation and trade promotion.
Vice Chairman Lê Văn Sử emphasized the need to establish a seafood export testing and verification center in Ca Mau. This would reduce costs, shorten inspection times, and ensure compliance with standards required by demanding markets—an essential step for Ca Mau crab, alongside Ca Mau shrimp, to expand official exports to Japan, South Korea, and Europe.
With strong potential, proven quality, and growing market recognition, Ca Mau crab can become a new strategic export product if a transparent, sustainable, and well-linked value chain is built, supported by enterprises, authorities, and local farmers. This will contribute significantly to the province’s socio-economic development in the years ahead.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam Clean Seafood Corporation has invested in a 280-hectare super-intensive shrimp farming zone in Tran De Commune, Can Tho City, generating export value of approximately VND 3 billion per hectare per year—around 50 times higher than traditional agricultural production.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.02 billion in May 2026, up 0.6% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 4.67 billion, an increase of 11% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In a rapidly changing global seafood market, timely insights and reliable data are more critical than ever. The Report on Vietnam Seafood Exports in Q1/2026 provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in Vietnam’s seafood production, trade performance, and export trends, helping businesses navigate uncertainty and identify new growth opportunities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) While many major markets continue to experience slow growth, Russia has emerged as a brighter destination for Vietnamese tuna exports in early 2026. Export turnover to this market increased by nearly 55% in the first four months of the year, indicating a clear improvement in demand. Nevertheless, Russia remains a market that should be viewed with both optimism and caution.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports have shown encouraging signs of recovery in 2026. In the first four months of the year, total export turnover reached USD 720 million, up 17% compared to the same period last year. This result reflects improving demand across many markets, as well as the efforts of Vietnamese pangasius enterprises to maintain production, secure orders, and adapt to changing market conditions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first four months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports reached USD 49 million, up 151% compared to the same period in 2025. This impressive growth reflects positive momentum in the tilapia sector, with Brazil emerging as a key driver of growth, while frozen tilapia fillets continued to be the industry's leading export product.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports to the UK have shown positive signs in the first months of 2026. While the UK’s overall tuna imports from the world declined, imports from Vietnam increased strongly, indicating that there is still room for Vietnam to expand its market share. However, behind this growth, competitive pressure remains intense, especially as the UK continues to be a major market for established suppliers such as Ecuador, Mauritius, and Ghana.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Biofloc technology is being piloted in several rice–shrimp farming models in Ca Mau Province, showing initial positive results in controlling pond environments, improving shrimp seed quality, and supporting sustainable aquaculture development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first four months of 2026, Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia together contributed USD 108 million to Vietnam’s pangasius exports, accounting for around 15% of the industry’s total export turnover. Amid tightening global whitefish supply and slowing demand in several traditional markets, Latin America is increasingly becoming an important expansion destination for the sector.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Alongside the development of high-tech shrimp farming, Ha Tinh Province is accelerating the cultivation of high-value freshwater aquatic species, with red tilapia emerging as an effective and sustainable farming model.
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