An Giang shrimp prices surge, lifting farmer margins

Black tiger shrimp, whiteleg shrimp, giant freshwater prawn and mud crab have all gained, with the steepest increases in the past month.

In Vinh Binh commune, long-time farmer Trang Thi Tu Nga said her family has already harvested two crops this year from three hectares stocked with black tiger, whiteleg shrimp and giant freshwater prawn. Revenues topped VND 300 million (USD 12,100), with net profits of VND 130m (USD 5,250).

“Our profits are more than VND 30m higher than the same period last year thanks to stronger shrimp prices,” she told Undercurrent.

Black tiger shrimp size 20/kg are currently selling at VND 230,000/kg, with 30/kg shrimp fetching VND 200,000/kg. Whiteleg shrimp are trading at similar levels, up by over VND 20,000/kg year-on-year. Giant freshwater prawn has seen some of the sharpest gains since mid-July, with live product moving at VND 150,000-160,000/kg and iced prawn at VND 90,000/kg, up by VND 30,000-50,000/kg from previous years.

Nga uses an improved extensive model, with limited industrial feed and a “relay stocking” method in which post-larvae are first reared in nursery ponds before being released into grow-outs. “We harvest three times a year. In the last two crops alone we sold more than 400kg of shrimp and over 1.7 tons of prawn. Yields are stable, but higher prices are driving better profits. Most farmers here are very pleased,” she said.

In Dong Hoa commune, Le Thanh Hai farms three hectares of integrated rice-shrimp land, rotating one rice crop with two shrimp crops intercropped with mud crab. His system relies on disease-screened seed, avoids chemicals, and supplements feed with rice and local snails.

“All three species including black tiger, whiteleg and mud crab have been trading at good levels this year, up by VND 30,000-50,000/kg compared with previous years,” Hai said. “From my three hectares, I’ve earned around VND 280m so far in 2025, with net profits of about VND 150m.”

According to Phu Vinh Thai, deputy head of An Giang’s Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance Sub-Department, the province produced more than 820,000 tons of seafood in the first eight months of 2025, achieving 72% of its annual plan.

“Aquaculture in An Giang has remained stable this year, with few disease outbreaks. For brackish shrimp, we apply different systems suited to local ecological conditions and climate adaptation. Productivity is being driven by science, technology and linked production models targeting sustainability,” he said.

The province is also converting low-yield, salinity-affected rice land into shrimp ponds, while upgrading irrigation and transport infrastructure to support expansion and biosecurity.

To ensure sustainable growth, An Giang is investing in seed production, tightening quality controls, and encouraging private-sector hatchery investment across freshwater, brackish and marine species. “We are strengthening seed quarantine, monitoring for major diseases, and providing timely guidance to farmers. At the same time, new technologies and circular practices are being applied to reduce waste,” Thai said.

VFM