July 8, 2025 | 04:23 GMT +7

  • Click to copy
Saturday- 10:40, 07/10/2023

Quality improvement, sustainable development

Pangasius exports are on the mend

(VAN) Mekong Delta pangasius exports have shown promising signs of recovery, achieving positive growth in some markets, helping many businesses exporting this product overcome difficulties.
In August, 32% of Vietnamese pangasius exports was accounted to China with a turnover of 374 million USD. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.

In August, 32% of Vietnamese pangasius exports was accounted to China with a turnover of 374 million USD. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.

Regarding pangasius exports, in August, China accounted for 32% of the market share with a turnover of 374 million USD. The US market accounts for 16%, the EU market accounts for 10%. Other markets such as Brazil, England, and Mexico account for 3.6 - 5%.

Recently, the US Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) evaluated the food hygiene and safety control system for Vietnamese pangasius exported to the US with positive results. This will be the force to boost pangasius exports to the US in the coming months.

Pangasius farming in the Mekong Delta. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.

Pangasius farming in the Mekong Delta. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.

“Although seafood export growth is still not equal to last year’s period, the market has shown signs of improvement since September. Notably, major markets such as China, the US, Japan, Korea and the EU have begun to increase imports to serve the year-end holidays,” said Ms. To Tuong Lan - Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

An Giang is one of the leading provinces in the Mekong Delta in developing the pangasius farming and processing industry for export. An Giang’s total farming area in the first nine months of 2023 has reached 1,780 hectares, equal to the same period in 2022. The annual output has reached over 400,000 tons. The province currently has 20 enterprises with 23 pangasius processing factories, capacity reaching 323,420 tons/year. In 2022 alone, businesses in the province exported 162,000 tons of pangasius products, earning foreign currency of 380 million USD for the province, an increase of 1.59% in volume and 2.03% in turnover.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Dung, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Dong Thap province, says that pangasius is one of the province’s key export industries, accounting for more than 65% of export turnover. Dong Thap currently has 27 enterprises processing pangasius filets for export, with a total design capacity of over 700,000 tons/year, attracting over 20,000 workers. These factories all meet the safest production conditions in the world. domestic and international (BRC, ISO, HACCP...).

Since the beginning of 2023, Dong Thap has exported pangasius to 80 countries and territories. The US market accounts for 26% of the province’s total seafood export turnover, the Chinese market accounts for 25.4%, and the EU market accounts for 11%. Currently, the average production cost of white meat pangasius is 26,850 - 27,000 VND/kg, the average selling price is 26,300 - 26,500 VND/kg, and pangasius farmers can lose over 254 million VND/ha/crop.

Seafood exports in the Mekong Delta have shown signs of recovery, achieving positive growth in some markets, and helping many businesses overcome difficulties. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.

Seafood exports in the Mekong Delta have shown signs of recovery, achieving positive growth in some markets, and helping many businesses overcome difficulties. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.

Mr. Doan Toi, General Director of Nam Viet Joint Stock Company (An Giang) says that although pangasius in the Mekong Delta is sold below investment cost, at this time, China - Hong Kong is still a large market-consuming Vietnamese pangasius product. Recently, Chinese traders ordered 500 containers of pangasius from Nam Viet Joint Stock Company, again showing that the Chinese market has reopened after three years of closure.

According to Mr. Toi, recently China imported pangasius in large quantities, so Vietnamese farmers are extremely excited. The large purchases by Chinese traders show businesses in this market must first have strong enough economic potential and extensive experience in production organization and market forecasting. The ability to respond to orders quickly and in large quantities can lead to success. To avoid risks (as in recent years), farmers need to connect with businesses through outsourcing farming models or farming in association with businesses. This will lower the risk of raising pangasius, so farmers no longer have to worry about output.

According to Ms. To Tuong Lan, seafood exports in the first nine months of 2023 reached more than 5.9 billion USD. Key products such as shrimp reached 2.2 billion USD, pangasius reached 1.2 billion USD, and other seafood reached nearly 2 billion USD. Ms. Lan analyzes trends in key products: Regarding shrimp exports, the major black tiger shrimp consuming markets are China, Japan, America, and Taiwan. Large markets importing white shrimp are the US, China, Japan, Korea, Australia, etc.

Although exports have not yet made a breakthrough, shrimp exports have had much higher sales in the last three months than in the first months of the year. The prosperity is evident in the US market, where sales have increased continuously over the months. Shrimp exports to China in July also recorded the second month of positive growth.

Author: Le Hoang Vu

Translated by Quynh Chi

Angiang deploys 1,500 ha of high-tech rice cultivation to advance carbon credit market

Angiang deploys 1,500 ha of high-tech rice cultivation to advance carbon credit market

(VAN) Astri Institute launches its Southwestern Branch in An Giang, aiming to promote smart, sustainable agriculture and advance carbon credit development in the Mekong Delta.

Low-emission sugarcane to earn revenue from carbon credit market

Low-emission sugarcane to earn revenue from carbon credit market

(VAN) The project not only enhances the sustainability and credibility of the Lam Son sugarcane value chain but also opens up opportunities to access global carbon financial resources.

Hanoi to expand habitat areas within the Huong Son Nature Reserve

Hanoi to expand habitat areas within the Huong Son Nature Reserve

(VAN) Hanoi implements a project to strengthen regional linkages and promote the sustainable exploitation and use of biodiversity resources in protected areas and natural heritage sites in the Red River Delta region.

Vietnam to scale up alternate wetting and drying methods

Vietnam to scale up alternate wetting and drying methods

(VAN) Alternate wetting and drying irrigation in rice cultivation contributes to realizing the goal of sustainable, low-emission production under the One Million Hectares of High-Quality Rice project.

Vietnam-Japan strengthen ties to mobilize climate finance for low-emission rice

Vietnam-Japan strengthen ties to mobilize climate finance for low-emission rice

(VAN) The rice cultivation model applying the alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation method has demonstrated significant emission reduction efficiency and has been registered as a carbon credit project.

A launchpad for Vietnam enterprises to participate in the global Net Zero race

A launchpad for Vietnam enterprises to participate in the global Net Zero race

(VAN) The event initiated policy, technical, and financial alignment efforts, which enabled businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, to proactively transition to low-emission development.

ASF vaccine for sows and boars urgently needed

ASF vaccine for sows and boars urgently needed

(VAN) This is the wish of local governments and pig farmers to establish comprehensive herd immunity, enhance the effectiveness of African Swine Fever (ASF) control, and reduce economic losses.

Read more