(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After the recovery in 2016, shrimp exports of Vietnam started 2017 with the downward momentum. Export value in Jan 2017 reached US$198.7 million; down 12.6% over the same period in 2016. In Feb 2017, export value increased 18.7% compared with February 2016. Despite the increase in February, the total shrimp export value in the first two months of this year reached nearly US$378 million; slightly decreasing by 0.1% over the same period in 2016.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has submitted to the Prime Minister a national action plan for the development of the shrimp industry through 2025.

The Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau targets to have 280,000 hectares of prawn farming with an output of 280,000 tonnes per year by 2020.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On April 10, 2017 the news site SEAFOODNEWS.COM has posted an article titled “Vietnam Tightens Inspections after Reports of Shrimp Processors Injecting Shrimp with Agar”. The article mentions about state of injecting agar into shrimp in some shrimp facilities in Vietnam.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau province (Vietnam) aims to produce 20 billion of shrimp seed including 12 billion of black tiger shrimp seeds and 8 billion of whiteleg shrimp seeds in 2020.

Vietnam’s shrimp exports are expected to reach between 4.5 – 5 billion USD by 2020, with an annual increase of between 9.5 – 12 percent.

A conference was held in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang on March 23 to discuss how to realize the 10 billion USD shrimp export target by 2025 as requested by the Prime Minister.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is collecting opinions to finalise a national action plan for shrimp development through 2025.

The Vietnamese Government has requested the Australian side re-examine its ban on importing Vietnamese shrimp as it had caused serious impacts on local shrimp exporters, said Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After the recovery in 2016, Vietnam shrimp exports in the early 2017 climbed down. The sales in Jan 2017 hit US$198.7 million; down 12.6% year on year.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Sao Ta Foods Joint Stock Company (Fimex VN; HOSE: FMC) based in Soc Trang province (Vietnam), in Jan 2017, the company processed 680 MT of finished shrimp products in all varieties.

Prices of raw shrimp have been increasing rapidly in the Mekong Delta since early February when shrimp processors returned to work soon after Tet (Lunar New Year), according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The U.S. remains to be the largest market of Vietnamese shrimp, making up 22.5% of total shrimp exports in 2016. Vietnam shrimp exports to the U.S. in 2016 reached US$708.8 million; an increase of 7.9% compared to 2015. Shrimp sales to the market reported the highest growth of 30.6% in QI/2016; sales in QII and QIII reported lower growth of 13.8% and 15.2%, respectively.

Vietnam's $10 billion export target for shrimp is ambitious but achievable.

Vietnam’s shrimp has experienced many highs and lows in the last 10 years, but it may see more stable growth in the future. Recently, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc decided that Vietnam would aim to become a major shrimp producer in the world.