The VietShrimp Aquaculture International Fair 2024, themed “In company with shrimp farmers” opened in the southernmost province of Ca Mau on March 20.

The event, co-hosted by the Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries, the Vietnam Fisheries Society (VINAFIS), the Vietnam Fisheries magazine, and Ca Mau province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, features about 200 booths of 150 domestic and international exhibitors.

The two-day fair also includes four seminars about technology transfer to promote circular economy in the Vietnamese shrimp value chain, low-emission and sustainable shrimp industry through circular economy, quality improvement and value enhancement for Vietnam’s shrimp industry, and discussion on how shrimp farming to achieve the highest efficiency.

VINAFIS Chairman Nguyen Viet Thang said that for many years, shrimp has been a key product of Vietnam, bringing home nearly 4 billion USD from export each year, accounting for about 45 - 50% of the total aquatic export value.

Currently, Vietnam is one of the largest shrimp-producing countries in the world and is in the top four in the world in terms of exports together with Ecuador, India and Indonesia.

However, because of difficulties both inside and outside the country, Vietnam’s shrimp export turnover in 2023 declined to only 3.45 billion USD, down 19.8% compared to 2022.

The industry is forecast to continue to face many challenges this year including abnormal weather conditions, high input material prices, high risk of diseases, high inflation in many countries and high logistics costs.

The organiser of VietShrimp 2024 hopes the fair will provide a venue for the State, scientists, businesses and farmers to sit down together to seek effective solutions to bring the shrimp industry back to the growth trajectory and realise the goal of sustainable development, he said. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said that Vietnamese seafood products have entered nearly 170 countries and territories, and Vietnamese shrimp products are now sold in more than 100 markets.

He said that Vietshrimp 2024 – the fifth of its kind held annually in Vietnam – is designed to promote and introduce the potential, strengths, image and brand of Vietnamese shrimp. It also creates an opportunity for authorities, experts, scientists, businesses, cooperatives and shrimp farmers to keep updated on the situation and new scientific and technical advances and discuss measures to overcome limit ations and shortcomings of the shrimp industry.

Le Van Su, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau provincial People's Committee said shrimp has played a key role in Ca Mau's agricultural industry.

In 2023, the province had about 278,000 ha of shrimp farming area, producing 231,000 tonnes, and earning over 1 billion USD from shrimp export, accounting for 40% of the total shrimp farming area in Vietnam, 22% of the country’s output and nearly 30% of the country's shrimp export value.

Su acknowledged the difficulties and limit ations that the province’s shrimp industry is facing, noting that the Vietshrimp 2024 will bring opportunities for local authorities and farmers to learn and improve shrimp production, processing and exports in the coming time./.