Vietnam’s seafood production continued its upward trend in May, with production totals for most of the country’s major species improving year-over-year.
The country produced estimated 782,800 metric tons (MT) of seafood in the month, an increase of 4.2 percent year-on-year, according to Vietnam’s General Department of Fisheries. That included 417,000 MT of farmed seafood, up 6.7 percent year-on-year, and 365,800 MT of wild-caught seafood, edging up 1.5 percent from May 2020.
The country’s production of shrimp in the month increased 0.2 percent to 81,000 MT, while pangasius output surged 1.2 percent to 117,300 MT.
In the first five months of 2021, Vietnam produced estimated 3.27 million MT of seafood, 2.6 percent higher year-on-year, comprising 1.69 million MT of farmed seafood, up 3.7 percent year-on-year; and 1.58 million MT of wild-caught seafood, rising 1.4 percent from 2020.
The production of shrimp in the period stood at 253,600 MT, an increase of 6 percent year-on-year, including 85,800 MT of black tiger shrimp, up 1.6 percent; 167,800 MT of vannamei, a growth of 8.4 percent year-on-year.
The increase in the vannamei output is attributed to the rising shift to intensive farming and the better control of shrimp diseases. May is also a main harvesting month of the year, according to the Department of Fisheries.
Between January and May, Vietnam produced estimated 523,900 MT of pangasius, up 2.8 percent year-on-year, with An Giang Province accounting for 196,900 MT and Dong Thap Province 120,600 MT.
The rise in the country’s pangasius export value has resulted in farm-gate price edging up slightly to VND 21,500 to VND 21,700 (USD 0.93 to USD 0.94, EUR 0.76 to EUR 0.77) per kilogram.
However, the production of tuna in the period declined 9 percent to 8,522 MT despite favorable weather conditions. Of the total, Binh Dinh Province produced 5,494 MT, down 5.8 percent year-on-year; followed by Phu Yen Province with 1,819 MT, 4 percent lower than January-May last year; and Khanh Hoa Province with 1,209 MT, up 15.1 percent.
Photo courtesy of Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers
