The goal of USD 4 billion in 2022

Vietnam Shrimp Forum 2022 was hosted on July 15 by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Bac Lieu province, the Directorate of Fisheries, and the Viet Nam Fisheries Society (VINAFIS). The topic of the event was "Applying science and technology for the sustainable development of Vietnam's shrimp industry."

The Directorate of Fisheries estimates that the shrimp growing area in 2022 will include 750,000 hectares. The output of shrimp is anticipated to exceed 980 thousand tons, including 275 tons of giant tiger shrimp, 675 thousand tons of white-leg shrimp, and the remaining tonnage consisting of different types of shrimp. It is anticipated that export revenue would exceed USD 4 billion (up 2.56 percent year on year).

The Directorate proposed numerous primary objectives and solutions, such as promoting science and technology to increase productivity, quality, and production efficiency to fulfill domestic and international demand. It also suggests focusing on brackish water shrimp in order to increase their value and promote their sustainable development.

Organizing connectivity between shrimp farming locales, and synchronizing solutions for either shrimp production development or optimal Covid-19 reaction, is one of the most critical factors.

It is vital to make plans for brackish water shrimp farming in Covid-19 conditions without allowing the uncertainty of the pandemic to influence such strategies. The production would be organized in accordance with the direction of linking, vertical and horizontal linkages between production facilities in order to produce goods safely, minimize costs, and assure output. ..

Risks in shrimp farming

An official of the Bac Lieu Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that the export market of Vietnam and Bac Lieu's shrimp industry has encountered several obstacles, including unpredictable shrimp pricing, extreme weather, climate change, and environmental degradation, among others.

The agriculture industry of the province of Bac Lieu has devised several strategies to overcome, combat, and adapt to the present climatic scenario.

In addition, it has been proactive in demonstrating, introducing, and transferring new scientific and technological applications and advancements to producers in order to reduce costs, improve productivity, quality, and efficiency, enhance competitiveness, and ensure food safety, while gradually shifting from traditional to modern farming, applying advanced science and technology, increasing both output and shrimp value.

However, the application of science and technology to shrimp farming in the past has many deficiencies; investment in agricultural production in general and fishery, in particular, remains risky, so it has not encouraged private sector investment; large initial investment costs, and farming scale is still fragmented.

In certain shrimp culture-concentrated regions, water supply and infrastructure have not been developed synchronously; people's varying levels of education and awareness further impede access to science and technology...

Restructuring shrimp farming

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien stated that the forum aims to introduce new directions and policies on agricultural economic development in the context of EVFTA integration. It supported new technological solutions and helps overcome difficulties and challenges posed by current production, as well as assists farmers in reorganizing the shrimp farming model to reduce costs and increase production efficiency, thereby promoting the stable development of Vietnam's agricultural industry.

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien praised the forum's efficacy, citing its significant contribution to supporting production growth and laying a new basis for economic development, particularly in agricultural production and fisheries.

Additionally, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien outlined a number of crucial tasks for the fishing sector in the latter half of 2022.

The first task is continuing the issuance of farming codes for shrimp farming establishments that facilitate traceability. 

The second is organizing connections between shrimp farming locales; concurrently executing production development solutions to grow shrimp farming and successfully combat the Covid-19 outbreak.

Third is successfully executing schemes and programs such as the national action plan for shrimp development in Vietnam by 2025 and the overview scheme for the growth of industrial shrimp farming by 2030, among others.

It is essential to boost science and technology adoption to increase productivity, product quality, and manufacturing efficiency.

Fifth is expanding shrimp development and farming stages in the shrimp production chain in the direction of high technology, reduced labor, and disease control.

The Deputy Minister also directed the agricultural officials to increase monitoring and warning of the environment in areas of concentrated shrimp farming in order to rapidly deliver recommendations to shrimp farmers to overcome difficulties, and closely manage the quality of shrimp seed and fishery farming equipment, etc. 

In the first half of 2022, the shrimp sector had positive growth: Shrimp production is estimated at 400/950 thousand tons (reaching 42.1% of the target), an increase of 10.2% over the same period, with black tiger shrimp accounting for 113 thousand tons and white leg shrimp for 287 thousand tons; export turnover reached USD 2.38 billion, representing 39.1% of the total seafood export turnover.

It is anticipated that the turnover from shrimp exports in 2022 would be at least 10 percent greater than in 2021, surpassing the goal. In 2022, the sector aims to produce 1 million tons of commercial shrimp.

Translated by Linh Linh