Quang Ngai targets USD 25 million/year in seafood exports

Great potential for seafood development

The coastal and offshore areas of Quang Ngai possess abundant natural resources, creating favorable conditions for the development of the ocean economy, including oil, maritime transport, ports, fishing and aquaculture, marine ecosystems, and sea and island tourism. Among these, seafood exploitation and aquaculture have become the province's key economic sector.

The whole province currently has more than 4,900 fishing vessels with a total capacity of over 1.8 million CV, including 3,026 vessels with a length of 15 m to under 24 m. Quang Ngai's fleet operates across the country’s fishing grounds, from the Gulf of Tonkin to the Southwestern waters, extending to the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, the DK1 platform area, and waters adjacent to neighboring countries. Annual seafood exploitation reaches over 270,000 tons.

Aquaculture activities have also seen positive progress, achieving notable results. By 2025, aquaculture areas are projected to reach 2,590 hectares, with an output of approximately 18,000 tons, up 2,073 tons compared with 2024.

Mr. Vo Van Si in the Ly Son special zone, Quang Ngai, has invested in farming over 50 cages of cobia. The fish are now growing well, with two harvests already sold at VND 220,000/kilogram. "If the weather remains favorable and disease outbreaks are limited, fish grow rapidly, and most households earn profits ranging from several hundred million to several billion dong. The cobia farming cycle usually lasts 12 months, with harvested fish weighing 8–10 kilograms," Mr. Si shared.

Boosting seafood exports

According to the Quang Ngai Fisheries Development Program to 2030, with a vision to 2045, the province sets a target that by 2030, the total capacity of seafood processing factories reaches 30,000 tons/year, with a processed output of 23,000 tons/year. It also aims to establish 1-2 value chains linking fishing, aquaculture, processing, and consumption, thereby enhancing the value of processed seafood and achieving an annual export turnover of USD 25 million.

To realize this target, seafood enterprises in Quang Ngai have been ready to enter the deep-processing segment by proactively securing investment capital, covering operational costs, training a skilled workforce, and establishing linkage chains from purchasing to pre-processing, processing, and output seeking.

Statistics from the Quang Ngai Department of Agriculture and Environment show that the province currently has 28 enterprises engaged in seafood processing, with a total designed capacity exceeding 30,000 tons/year. Among them, 14 enterprises export to markets such as the EU, China, Japan, and South Korea, with key products including frozen fish fillets, whole frozen fish, whole frozen shrimp, fried breaded shrimp, dried squid, and dried fish.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuong, Director of Phu Tho Seafood Co., Ltd., said that promoting deep processing is considered one of the most important solutions for enterprises to reposition their products while developing closed linkage chains, thereby increasing value and enhancing competitiveness in both domestic and international markets. Thus, enterprises need specific support policies and mechanisms, particularly in land incentives, technological innovation, and production line upgrades, to increase the proportion of processed seafood and diversify products in line with market demands.

Accompanying businesses, specialized agencies also strengthen information-sharing and guidance to help enterprises update and comply with regulations on food hygiene and safety and disease safety in export markets. They also build mechanisms to encourage and support enterprises to invest in technological innovation, apply clean technologies and equipment, use energy efficiently, and protect the environment.

Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Ho Trong Phuong emphasized that the EU’s environmental protection regulations present both opportunities and challenges for the fisheries sector in general and for Quang Ngai's seafood processing and exporting enterprises in particular.

"To meet sustainability standards, enterprises will need to invest in upgrading processes and applying new technologies to production. This will not only improve productivity and product quality but also minimize negative impacts on the environment, thereby increasing the export value of seafood products," Mr. Phuong stated.

However, current challenges lie in limited resources among enterprises, with difficulties in accessing capital to upgrade technology. As a result, products have yet to meet sustainability standards and certification.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment has also directed specialized agencies to research, develop, and work with enterprises to implement "farm-to-factory" models. These models help form close production linkages between exporters and farmers, contributing to improving product quality, value, and competitiveness.

In addition, specialized agencies and relevant authorities need to step up inspections and monitoring of raw material areas and pre-processing and processing facilities to ensure compliance with standards on product quality, hygiene, and epidemiological safety, thereby avoiding food safety warnings from importing markets.