Vietnamese shrimp- and pangasius-breeding firm Viet Uc announced earlier this year that it would launch an international shrimp-breeding expansion plan, with the company seeking to leverage its proprietary genetic technology to enter new markets.
“Viet Uc's upcoming strategy is to go global. We are leveraging our core strength, which is our breeding program, utilizing molecular genomics technology combined with the high-tech production systems that Viet Uc has accumulated over the past 20 years. Viet Uc is confident that we are in a world-class position,” Viet Uc CEO Ton That De said earlier this year.
Now, the company has selected China as its first overseas market and also said it aims to build a genetics institute in the U.S.
“China will be Viet Uc’s first international foothold as it expands into global markets,” the company said, adding it is also targeting Southeast Asia, South Asia, and North America.
Viet Uc's strategy involves establishing local facilities in countries with high market potential to conduct in-country breeding programs and produce broodstock onsite, with whiteleg, or vannamei, shrimp being the core focus to start.
As the project launches, the company has honed in on two types of target markets in Asia under a dual-track strategy.
The Red Ocean strategy, under which China falls, entails the company entering regions with established large-scale production and intense competition, with Viet Uc saying it is confident that its superior technology will allow it to effectively penetrate the market and win over share.
Conversely, the Blue Ocean strategy focuses on emerging areas that lack professionalized seed production units, where the company intends to move in early to define standards and lead the market from its inception.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., Viet Uc plans to establish an internationally accredited biology and genetics research institute, but the company has not yet provided a timeline for operations.
The company said the U.S. was chosen for its strengths in genetics, molecular biology, and selective breeding, as well as its research ecosystem and scientific talent. The institute is intended to support research, technology transfer, and the commercialization of scientific products.
The planned institute forms part of Viet Uc’s broader transformation from an aquaculture producer into an aquatech group, with genetics, data and technology at the center of its future business model.
Under the new model, Viet Uc is organizing its business around six pillars: aquatic genetics, seed, feed, farming, processing, and aquatic animal health.
As part of its genetics program, Viet Uc has developed the VU-S26 line for different farming environments, including a strain designed for low-salinity conditions and another which can reach a size of around 40 shrimp per kilogram within 60 days, Viet Uc Deputy General Director of Genetics and Genomics Research and Development Lu Duc Bryce said.
The company said the end of 2026 and into 2027 will mark a transition from research to commercialization, including new product launches, commercial shrimp broodstock, and further international expansion.
Building on its shrimp-breeding program, Viet Uc also plans to expand its genetics research into pangasius, tilapia, and other aquaculture species.
In Vietnam, the company aims to raise its market share of shrimp seeds from 32 percent to 50 percent, while its longer-term goal is to complete its transformation into an aquatech group by 2030 and become a billion-dollar company.
The expansion plans come as Viet Uc is also preparing to raise fresh capital.
Its board has approved a public offering of 471,000 new shares at VND 67,000 (USD 2.60, EUR 2.30) each, compared with a par value of VND 10,000 (USD 0.38, EUR 0.33) per share, the company said, declining to provide a timeline for the initial public offering.
Viet Uc Group has established its presence in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector through an extensive network of specialized facilities. These include three selective breeding and multiplication centers, alongside nine high-tech hatcheries spanning over 300 hectares across the country.
The company has achieved a fully integrated value chain, supported by a 50,000-metric-ton (MT) joint venture feed mill with BioMar and a 10,000-MT seafood processing plant in Southern Vietnam. Furthermore, the company manages over 700 hectares across four high-tech grow-out farms, emphasizing a sustainable, antibiotic-free production model.
