Gia Lai agricultural extension milestones: [1] Bringing red tilapia to Japan

Conquering a demanding market

Gia Lai province currently has 2,468 hectares of reservoir surface used for extensive fish farming and around 923 floating cages with a total volume of 138,450 cubic meters. The main cultured species are red tilapia and traditional freshwater fish such as grass carp, mrigal carp, and common carp, with annual production estimated at 2,953 tons.

Cage farming in Gia Lai's reservoirs used to develop without planning. Farming methods varied widely, with no standardized production protocols. Farmers purchased fingerlings, feed, and fish medicines independently from aquaculture veterinary suppliers, making it difficult to control quality. As a result, production costs were high, disease treatment was often ineffective, antibiotic residues became a concern, and yields remained inconsistent.

Market access was another major challenge, as farmers depended entirely on traders, leaving incomes unstable and economic returns below the sector's potential. Seasonal weather changes also frequently triggered disease outbreaks, causing heavy losses because farmers lacked effective prevention and treatment methods.

According to Le Minh Thong, Chairman of the Vinh Thanh Commune People's Committee, Dinh Binh reservoir currently supports 24 aquaculture households operating 390 cages with a total volume of 24,480 cubic metres. These include four HDPE circular cages, each with a capacity of 330 cubic metres, and steel-frame cages with a capacity of 60 cubic metres each. Red tilapia accounts for almost 90% of production, while the remainder includes redtail catfish, bronze featherback, hybrid catfish, snakehead fish, and other species.

The reservoir currently has 350 cages dedicated to red tilapia, with a combined volume of 22,080 cubic meters, including four HDPE cages. Annual production is estimated at 772 tons. Fish are cultured year-round, with two main stocking periods: the primary season from March to July and a secondary season from August to December. Harvesting also takes place throughout the year, peaking from July to August and from December to January next year.

To improve production efficiency, the Gia Lai Agricultural Extension Center has implemented annual demonstration models since 2021 to transfer red tilapia farming techniques to reservoir farming communities. By 2023, farmers had begun adopting improved production practices.

Huynh Viet Hung, Director of the Gia Lai Agricultural Extension Center, said, "We transferred fish husbandry, feeding, and disease prevention techniques to farmers. After mastering these methods, they were able to overcome the recurring problem of mass fish mortality during seasonal weather changes."

Connecting with the Japanese market

Beyond providing technical support, the Gia Lai Agricultural Extension Center also serves as a bridge between Mai Tin Binh Dinh Co., Ltd., a Japanese-owned company, and red tilapia farmers at Dinh Binh reservoir in Vinh Thanh commune to establish a production linkage and guaranteed purchasing arrangement.

In 2023, the Center invited the company to visit its red tilapia farming model at the reservoir. During the visit, Kosaburo Kimura, General Director of Mai Tin Binh Dinh Co., Ltd., purchased several kilograms of fish, processed them into sashimi, canned the products, and sent samples to partners in Japan for evaluation.

The response exceeded expectations. Japanese partners reported that the reservoir-raised red tilapia had neither the muddy nor algae-like odor commonly associated with freshwater fish and was highly suitable for sashimi. The company subsequently proposed purchasing large volumes for processing and export.

To support exports of this freshwater species, the Gia Lai Agricultural Extension Center partnered with Mai Tin Binh Dinh Co., Ltd. to implement a value chain development project for commercial red tilapia at Dinh Binh reservoir.

Under the project, the center transferred clean farming techniques while helping farmers gradually adopt approved feeds and aquaculture veterinary products. Farmers also received training in cage preparation, fingerling selection, input procurement, fish husbandry, and disease management.

Nguyen Thi Nhung, a long-time fish farmer from Dinh Nhat hamlet (Vinh Thanh commune), said, "After receiving training from the provincial Agricultural Extension Center, I switched to commercial feed produced by reputable Vietnamese companies and now use vitamin C, multivitamins, probiotics, and mineral supplements during production instead of antibiotics. As a result, the fish are much less susceptible to disease."

According to Nguyen Thi To Tran, Deputy Director of the Gia Lai Department of Agriculture and Environment, at the end of October 2025, the Gia Lai Sub-Department of Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Management tested samples of red tilapia from Dinh Binh Reservoir. Laboratory results showed no detectable residues of doxycycline, cadmium, lead, or mercury.

Having met all required standards, the fish qualified for export to Japan through Mai Tin Binh Dinh Co., Ltd. In early December 2025, the company shipped its first container carrying 11 tons of sushi-grade red tilapia. In late March 2026, it exported another 8 tons of frozen finished products, processed from 39 tons of raw fish.

"Japanese consumers appreciate fish raised in Dinh Binh Reservoir because they lack the algae odor common in pond-raised fish. Since the cages are suspended 40-50 metres above the reservoir bottom, the fish also avoid muddy flavors. We are now expanding cooperation between Mai Tin Binh Dinh Co., Ltd. and red tilapia farmers at Hoi Son reservoir in Hoi Son commune and Dong Mit reservoir in An Vinh commune," said Director Huynh Viet Hung.