Kien Giang Positive recovery of local shrimp industry after a challenging period

According to industrial shrimp farmers in Hon Dat, Kien Luong, Giang Thanh, and Ha Tien City, 2024 was a challenging year due to complex shrimp disease outbreaks and unfavorable weather conditions affecting shrimp growth. Additionally, rising production costs, such as medicine and feed, coupled with persistently low shrimp prices during the first nine months of the year, led to losses for many farmers, leaving them without capital to invest in new crops. Some households resorted to minimal stocking at low densities, waiting for prices to improve.

However, from late 2024, the shrimp market began to rebound as demand for export and domestic consumption during the Lunar New Year surged, pushing prices higher. Many farmers with shrimp stocks were delighted to sell at favorable prices.

According to local traders in Kien Luong and Ha Tien City, whiteleg shrimp are being purchased by processing factories at prices ranging from 95,000 to 100,000 VND/kg for 100 shrimp/kg and from 140,000 to 145,000 VND/kg for 40-50 shrimp/kg. Oxygenated shrimp for the Lunar New Year market in northern provinces and Cambodia fetch prices about 10% higher than those offered by processing plants, ensuring profits for farmers.

The Kien Giang Department of Fisheries reported that in 2024, the province stocked 136,340 hectares of brackish water shrimp, achieving 100.47% of the annual target. Shrimp production reached 133,181 tons, a 10.07% increase compared to 2023, thanks to expanded farming areas.

Forecasts for 2025 indicate that Vietnam’s shrimp exports will face significant fluctuations and fierce competition from strong exporting countries like Ecuador, India, and Honduras, impacting domestic shrimp prices. Moreover, increasingly erratic weather and uncontrolled shrimp diseases will continue to pose major challenges.

To ensure the success of the 2025 shrimp season, Kien Giang has proactively issued an early seasonal stocking schedule for each region. The Department of Fisheries is enhancing coordination with localities to organize training sessions on safe and efficient production techniques, as well as monitoring and warning of environmental and disease risks. The water management system will be optimized to meet the needs of shrimp farmers, while support for farmers registering identification codes for their shrimp farms will continue to meet traceability requirements.

Farmers are advised to select high-quality shrimp post-larvae, implement multi-stage farming processes, and stock larger-sized shrimp to reduce risks. Localities are also encouraged to establish cooperatives and farming groups to foster production linkages, reduce intermediaries, and cut production costs.

VFM