Adapting to climate change is a top priority for Ca Mau province in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. By 2030, the province aims to achieve significant advancements in sustainable development of shrimp farming, focusing on reducing CO2 emissions.

In 2023, the total area of brackish water shrimp farming in Vietnam reached 737,000 hectares, including 622,000 hectares for black tiger shrimp and approximately 115,000 hectares for whiteleg shrimp. The total shrimp production was estimated at 1.12 million tons, marking a 5.5% increase from 2022. This included 274,000 tons of black tiger shrimp and 845,000 tons of whiteleg shrimp.

Action Plans for Sustainable Growth

On May 25, Huynh Quoc Viet, Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, approved a development plan for the province’s shrimp industry up to 2030, with a vision extending to 2050. This plan involves a substantial investment of VND 20 trillion (USD 781 million) across various sectors, such as breeding, breed reproduction, raw material area planning, and climate change resilience.

The primary goal is to establish Ca Mau as the main center of Vietnam’s shrimp industry by 2030. The province intends to adopt advanced technologies to enhance productivity, increase production, adapt to climate change, and preserve the environment. By 2030, Ca Mau aims to maintain a stable shrimp farming area of 280,000 hectares, with specific allocations for super-intensive, intensive, improved extensive, and extensive livestock farming. Additionally, the province plans to develop two aquaculture complexes in Nam Can and Dam Doi districts.

Under this plan, Ca Mau aims to produce 350,000 tonnes of shrimp with an estimated export value of USD 1.65 billion by 2030. The program includes efforts to bolster the processing capacity of aquaculture product factories, diversify processed products for export, and increase the proportion of high value-added products to 80%, while reducing semi-processed products to less than 20%.

Future Growth Opportunities

Vietnamese shrimp exports are poised to benefit from numerous growth opportunities, especially with the United States recognizing Vietnam as a market economy. Moving forward, enterprises are encouraged to adopt a proactive approach to meet consumer market demands. This includes focusing on breed and feed management, reducing intermediate costs, and improving breed and feed quality to enhance shrimp health, thereby reducing diseases and production costs.

They are also advised to reinforce food safety in aquatic product production, establish traceability of product origin, and develop shrimp farming practices that comply with international certification standards such as ASC, BAP, and organic certifications.