Speaking at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference in Can Tho City on December 29, the Vietnam Pangasius Association (VPA) highlighted a record surge in pangasius fingerling prices amid tightening supply conditions.
Pangasius Fingerling Prices Increase by 210–220%
According to the VPA’s year-end report, a “price fever” has occurred in the pangasius fingerling market. Fingerlings sized at 30 fish/kg are currently priced at VND 55,000–58,000 per kg, compared to VND 25,000–28,000 per kg at the beginning of the year, driven by limited supply. As a result, fingerling prices have increased by 210–220% compared to early 2025.

Mean while, raw pangasius prices toward the end of 2025 have shown a downward trend, with fish weighing over 1 kg priced at only VND 19,500–19,700 per kg.
Total pangasius production in 2025 is estimated at approximately 1.65 million tons, remaining stable or slightly declining compared to 2024 due to tightened supply in the second half of the year. Pangasius export turnover reached USD 2 billion by the end of November 2025, up nearly 9% year-on-year, and is forecast to exceed USD 2.1 billion for the full year.
According to the Association, pangasius farming in the Mekong Delta (ĐBSCL) continues to be maintained and developed despite challenges related to environmental pollution, disease outbreaks, and the impacts of climate change. This achievement is attributed to production restructuring and the proactive application of advanced science and technology in farming practices, contributing to improved productivity and efficiency. The industry is gradually restructuring toward enhancing value-added products rather than focusing solely on output volume.

However, climate change has intensified disease outbreaks and deteriorated water quality—particularly in upstream provinces affected by low water levels and coastal provinces impacted by saltwater intrusion. This has led to increased demand for disease prevention and treatment chemicals, lower survival rates, and rising costs for feed and medication. At the same time, while fingerling prices and production costs continue to rise, raw fish prices have declined, causing many farmers to hesitate in stocking, resulting in a reduction in farming areas compared to the same period last year.
Previously, the production cost of pangasius was approximately USD 1/kg, but it has now increased to USD 1.2–1.3/kg, surpassing that of Alaska Pollock. Consequently, the competitiveness of Vietnamese pangasius is weakening as comparable products in the same market segment are being produced at increasingly lower costs. Pangasius farmers are facing mounting difficulties.

Recommendations to Improve Fingerling Quality
Despite record-high fingerling prices, the Vietnam Pangasius Association emphasized that fingerling quality— a critical link in the pangasius value chain in the Mekong Delta—remains inadequate. This situation highlights the urgent need for comprehensive and synchronized upgrading, especially as importing markets impose increasingly stringent requirements, demanding standardized practices across the entire value chain.
Poor fingerling quality results in low survival rates. Coupled with increasingly erratic weather conditions, disease outbreaks no longer follow traditional seasonal patterns, posing significant risks to farmers.
In response, the Association has recommended that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment direct specialized agencies, including the Research Institute for Aquaculture No. II, to coordinate with provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment to implement concrete measures and allocate sufficient resources to ensure the production of standardized fingerlings for the Mekong Delta pangasius supply chain. Ongoing programs on three-tier pangasius seed production (broodstock, fry, and commercial fingerlings) should continue to be implemented in a coordinated manner.
In addition, planning and management efforts should be closely aligned with actual demand, aiming to establish concentrated pangasius fingerling production zones. Strengthening traceability to meet export requirements, along with maintaining and applying international standards such as Global GAP and ASC in fingerling nursing and intensive pangasius farming, are critical solutions to improving product quality while ensuring environmental protection and disease safety.

Source: Thủy sản Việt Nam