Traders are buying snakehead fish at 45,000 to 47,000 VND/kg, marking the highest price since the beginning of the year.
Sources from snakehead fish farming households in Tra On District, Vinh Long Province, and Tra Cu District, Tra Vinh Province, indicates that the price of commercial snakehead fish has continuously increased over the past month, now reaching 45,000 to 47,000 VND/kg, which is 10,000 VND/kg higher than the previous month. At this price, farmers can earn a profit of 5,000 to 7,000 VND/kg.
Farmers carry out two crops per year, harvest is about five months after stocking. With the price ranging between 45,000 and 50,000 VND/kg, the average profit from snakehead fish farming can reach 40 to 50 million VND from a 1,000 m2 pond.
According to several traders in Tra Vinh and Vinh Long, the increase was attributed to the initial recovery of the Cambodian importing market. Additionally, summer heat in previous months affected the resistance of farmed fish, forcing farmers to sell early, leading to a short supply in the market.
Farmer Nguyen Thanh Thuy from Chau Thanh District, Tra Vinh Province, noted that from June to November each year, Cambodia typically imposes a domestic fishing ban, increasing the demand for imported snakehead fish. Farmers should decide the right time to stock and harvest, so that they can catch up with the peak consumption period in the Cambodian market; and as such, the fish can be sold at high prices.
The Tra Cu District Agriculture and Rural Development Office advises farmers not to expand their farming areas excessively, as they did in previous years despite the high price of snakehead fish. Farmers should switch from intensive farming to the rotation method, adjusting their pond systems to minimize risks and optimize profits. Tra Cu District currently has the largest snakehead fish farming area in Tra Vinh Province, with about 450 hectares, involving over 1,200 farming households, and a total annual harvest of over 40,000 tons.
VFM
