The handshake that elevates shrimp value chain

On June 29, in Ho Chi Minh City, Kim Hoang Quang Nam Aquatic Seed Joint Stock Company (a member of Mebi Group) and Kona Bay (part of Hendrix Genetics Group, the Netherlands) signed a strategic cooperation agreement aimed at developing high-quality shrimp broodstock, improving production efficiency, and strengthening the competitiveness of Viet Nam's shrimp sector.

Huynh Cong Tuan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kim Hoang Quang Nam, said Viet Nam holds strong advantages for shrimp development, but raising competitiveness in a global context requires the sector to be built on a foundation of high-quality seed stock, modern technology, and advanced management systems.

"We want to partner with the best in the world, adopt the most advanced technologies, and together build a modern, transparent, and sustainable aquaculture ecosystem that helps position Viet Nam as a high-quality food production center for the region and the world," Tuan said. He added that the company's objective extends beyond shrimp seed production to building a fully integrated value chain.

Assessing Viet Nam's shrimp sector, Jarl van den Berg, Global CEO of Kona Bay, acknowledged the industry's considerable potential but noted it is under pressure from rising production costs, falling prices, and increasingly stringent market requirements. High-quality broodstock, he said, is the decisive factor in the efficiency of the entire shrimp production chain, making seed quality improvement and technological innovation the core solution for maintaining competitiveness.

"We are also currently running research programs in Viet Nam to evaluate the disease resistance of our breeding lines, and we are collaborating with domestic enterprises and the Dutch Embassy on projects to improve the sustainability of shrimp farming practices," Van den Berg said, noting that Kona Bay chose to partner with Mebi Group and Kim Hoang Quang Nam because of their shared vision for developing the shrimp industry through science, technology, and technical knowledge transfer.

The company also recommended that Viet Nam explore more streamlined mechanisms for importing broodstock to reduce logistics costs, improve broodstock quality, and develop a "For Viet Nam, By Viet Nam" model that breeds shrimp domestically to serve the country's industry.

Ywert Visser, Vice President of the Dutch Business Association in Viet Nam, described the signing as evidence of a substantive partnership between Viet Nam and the Netherlands, grounded in trust and oriented toward lasting value. He noted that Viet Nam's shrimp sector faces challenges, including disease, biosecurity, climate change, and ever-stricter international market standards, which require integration across the entire value chain, from genetics and seed production to commercial farming, processing, export, and market development.

Visser assessed that Kim Hoang Quang Nam brings production capacity and market knowledge, while Kona Bay contributes advanced genetic technology and disease-free broodstock. The combination, he said, will help raise seed quality, improve production efficiency, and drive sustainable development of Viet Nam's shrimp value chain.

Hanna Pors, Deputy Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ho Chi Minh City, expressed confidence that the cooperation between Kona Bay and Kim Hoang Quang Nam will generate new momentum for Viet Nam's shrimp industry. She noted that Hendrix Genetics and Kona Bay have been steadily expanding their presence in Viet Nam, and that establishing a strategic partnership with Kim Hoang Quang Nam represents an important step in their continued commitment to Viet Nam's aquaculture sector.

Under the agreement, Kona Bay will supply high-quality broodstock to Kim Hoang Quang Nam. The two parties will combine Kona Bay's world-leading genetic breeding platform with Kim Hoang Quang Nam's rigorous seed production processes to produce successive generations of shrimp with fast growth rates, strong disease resistance, and optimized feed conversion ratios (FCR).

Kona Bay will also provide direct on-site technical support across Kim Hoang Quang Nam's production system to maximize output and improve operational efficiency from hatchery to nursery stage.