A stall of Skretting Vietnam company in VietShrimp 2018. — Photo vietshrimp.vn

CÀ MAU — The VietShrimp Aquaculture International Fair 2024, themed “In company with shrimp farmers”, will take place in the southernmost province of Cà Mau from March 20-22, heard a local press conference held on Wednesday.

Co-hosted by the provincial People’s Committee, the Vietnam Fisheries Society (VINAFIS), the Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries and the Vietnam Fisheries magazine, the event is expected to feature about 250 stalls from over 150 exhibitors at home and abroad, and thematic seminars to continue bringing Vietnamese shrimps to new markets and affirm their brand on the global shrimp industry map.

VINAFIS Chairman Nguyễn Việt Thắng said over the past two decades, the shrimp industry has played a crucial role in Việt Nam's export of aquatic products to the world. Each year, the shrimp export turnover accounts for around 40-45 per cent of the total seafood export, equivalent to US$3.5-4 billion. The figure reached an all-time high of over $4.3 billion last year.

So far, the Vietnamese shrimp has been exported to 100 countries, with Europe, the US, Japan, China and the Republic of Korea being the biggest importers. Viet Nam has become the world's second-largest shrimp supplier, with export turnover making up 13-14 per cent of the total global shrimp export value.

According to the VINAFISH, the total shrimp farming area in Việt Nam reached 747,000ha last year, yielding over one million tonnes in output, up 8.5 per cent annually. The shrimp export revenue went up 11.2 per cent year-on-year to $4.3 billion. This year, the shrimp farming area is expected to increase to 750,000ha, with the Mekong Delta accounting for 90 per cent. The production goal is set at over one million tonnes while the export revenue is to be equivalent to that in the previous year.

Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Châu Công Bằng said the province is home to around 280,000ha of shrimp farming area, producing over 200,000 tonnes and earning over $1 billion from exports annually. This year, the province targeted yielding more than 220,000 tonnes and bringing home $1.1 billion.

VietShrimp was held in 2016 and 2018 in the Mekong Delta province of Bạc Liêu Province, and in 2021 and 2023 in Cần Thơ City, becoming a major event in Việt Nam's seafood industry and a regional and Asian-level shrimp expo. — VNS