GENERAL INFORMATION

Vietnam, with a coastline of over 3,260 kilometers (km) and more than 3,000 islands and islets scattered offshore, plus up to 2,860 rivers and estuaries, has been geographically endowed with ideal conditions for the thriving fishery sector which currently exists.

Great potential of fishery sector in Vietnam is embedded in water bodies of 1.700.000 ha in which 811.700 ha freshwater, 635.400 ha brackish waters and 125.700 ha coves and 300.000 - 400.000 ha wetland areas might be employed for aquaculture development.

The Mekong River Delta in the south and the Red River Delta in the north have been used for wild catch fishing as well as extensive fish farming.

Shrimp and pangasius mostly farmed in the Mekong River Delta, in which, shrimp farmes located in coastal provinces such as Tra Vinh, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Ca Mau, Kien Giang, Ben Tre..

Pangasius farming is developing in many provinces in Mekong River Delta such as Can Tho, Vinh Long, Tien Giang, An Giang, Dong Thap, Soc Trang, Hau Giang, Tra Vinh....

Production in the fishery sector grew at an average rate of 7.05% from 1991 to 2000, and 10% from 2001 to now. Vietnamese fisheries production increased steadily YoY. Aquaculture output tent to sharply rise while capture ouput tend to slow down. In 2023, aquaculture occupied 59%, fishing output occupied 41%. From 2018-2023, ratio of fishing output has decreased from 46% to 41% of total fishery production in Vietnam. In 2023, total aquaculture area was 5.408 million tons, up 3.5%; total fishing output was 3.861 million tons, equal to 2022.

Bac Lieu: Seafood exports surge in the first 5 months

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the Bac Lieu Provincial People's Committee, the province's total export turnover is estimated to reach over 370 million USD, equivalent to 31.98% of the plan and up 9.6% over the same period; In which, frozen shrimp export is estimated to reach 353.79 million USD, equivalent to 31.31% of the plan, up 6.93% over the same period.

Bac Lieu Seafood exports surge in the first 5 months

Market penetration

Bac Lieu Province currently has 48 seafood processing factories for export, with a designed processing capacity of nearly 300,000 tons/year. According to the assessment of the Bac Lieu Department of Industry and Trade, in recent times, many seafood export enterprises have implemented flexible solutions to adapt promptly to the changes in the world market consumption situation. Seafood export enterprises focus on products with high added value and export value, penetrating into "demanding" markets such as the US, Japan, EU, China, Korea and many other markets around the world.

Currently, seafood processors and exporters in the province are maintaining good performance in traditional export markets to increase turnover, especially key markets such as Japan, the US, China, and Korea. In the face of difficulties and challenges caused by the global economic downturn, many businesses have promptly adjusted their production and business strategies to improve the efficiency of shrimp export to key markets. In particular, businesses focus on the input source of raw shrimp materials, improve production capacity to create high-quality export products with high competitiveness, ensuring that they meet the strict standards when exporting to demanding markets. Along with that, promoting the expansion of many new consumption markets in the Middle East, Africa, Oceania...

Application of technology in manufacturing

In Bac Lieu's agricultural product structure, seafood is recognized as a significant economic industry, with an annual export value over one billion USD. Almost 140,000 hectares are dedicated to aquaculture in the province, with several types including high-tech super intensive farming, intensive and semi-intensive farming, integrated improved extensive shrimp farming, shrimp - forest, and shrimp - rice. Compared to other shrimp farming models, the high-tech, super intensive model alone increases production by ten to fifteen times, producing raw shrimp output that makes up one-third of the province's entire shrimp farming output. Currently, this production model is being used by 25 businesses, units, and about 1,000 households in Bac Lieu province.

In order to develop high-tech shrimp farming models and meet the demand for raw materials in the province, the Bac Lieu Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that in the coming time, the province will continue to restructure the agricultural sector, focusing on developing the shrimp industry value chain; applying science and technology, especially high technology; promoting the reorganization of production in the form of cooperatives and cooperatives towards linking farmers with input suppliers and processing enterprises to consume products into a value chain that brings economic efficiency and replicating these forms of linkage to contribute to reducing production costs, stable, effective and sustainable product consumption.

With an export value of over 1 billion USD/year, seafood is identified as a key economic sector in the agricultural product structure of Bac Lieu. The province has over 140,000 ha of aquaculture with models such as: high-tech super intensive farming; intensive, semi-intensive; combined improved extensive shrimp farming; shrimp - forest; shrimp - rice. The high-tech super intensive shrimp farming model alone gives a productivity increase of 10-15 times compared to other shrimp farming models, creating raw shrimp output accounting for 1/3 of the total shrimp farming output in the province. Bac Lieu province currently has 25 companies, units and nearly 1,000 households applying this production model.

In order to develop high-tech shrimp farming models and meet the demand for raw materials in the province, the Bac Lieu Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that in the coming time, the province will continue to restructure the agricultural sector, focusing on developing the shrimp industry value chain; applying science and technology, especially high technology; promoting the reorganization of production in the form of cooperatives and cooperatives towards linking farmers with input suppliers and processing enterprises to consume products into a value chain that brings economic efficiency and replicating these forms of linkage to contribute to reducing production costs, stable, effective and sustainable product consumption.