{"id":397,"date":"2026-03-20T13:57:42","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T04:57:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/?p=397"},"modified":"2026-06-10T00:31:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T15:31:02","slug":"vietnam-shrimp-farming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/vietnam-agri\/vietnam-shrimp-farming\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Vietnam's shrimp-farming business? Seven points for success and the latest technologies"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\u30d9\u30c8\u30ca\u30e0\u306e\u30a8\u30d3\u990a\u6b96\u30d3\u30b8\u30cd\u30b9\u3068\u306f\uff1f\u6210\u529f\u3059\u308b\u305f\u3081\u306e7\u3064\u306e\u30dd\u30a4\u30f3\u30c8\u3068\u6700\u65b0\u6280\u8853\"<\/p>\n

The Latest Trends in Southeast Asian Agriculture and a Case Study of Shrimp Farming in Vietnam<\/h2>\n

The surface of the Mekong Delta glitters in the morning sun.<\/p>\n

Southeast Asia is one of the world's foremost agricultural regions, and against the backdrop of a tropical monsoon climate and fertile delta regions, it has nurtured a farming civilization spanning thousands of years. Vietnam in particular is an agricultural powerhouse with a population of about a hundred million, where agriculture accounts for about 12% of GDP and more than 40% of the working population is engaged in it. Annual rice production is about 43.5 million tonnes with export volume ranking second in the world, and coffee production is the world's second-largest after Brazil, Robusta<\/a> it is the world's largest, for Cashew nuts<\/a> and black pepper<\/a> it ranks first in the world, and for shrimp it boasts third place in output and second in exports.<\/p>\n

and total agriculture, forestry, and fishery exports reached about US$53 billion in 2023, accounting for more than 15% of the country's total exports. This article gives an overview of the big picture of Southeast Asian agriculture, then explains in detail seven points for success and the latest technologies, using shrimp farming in Vietnam as a concrete example.<\/p>\n

\n Source<\/b>
\n
\n JETRO, \"Asking Vietnamese Startups (7): Tepbac \u2014 A Shrimp-Farming Support Service\"
\n <\/a>
\n Compiled from (2025)\n<\/p>\n

\n

The Big Picture of Southeast Asian Agriculture: The Characteristics of Each ASEAN Country<\/h2>\n

\"\u30d9\u30c8\u30ca\u30e0\u306e\u30a8\u30d3\u990a\u6b96\u6c60\u306e\u98a8\u666f\"<\/p>\n

Each Southeast Asian country has its own agricultural resources and strengths.<\/p>\n

Thailand is an agricultural and food export powerhouse called \"the kitchen of the world,\" where agriculture accounts for about 8 to 9% of GDP and about 30% of the population is engaged in agriculture-related work. The farmland area per household averages about 3 hectares, and jasmine rice earns high marks in international markets. Its natural-rubber production and exports are among the world's largest, and processed chicken<\/a> it is also among the world's top in the export of such products.<\/p>\n

Indonesia has ASEAN's largest population, about 280 million, and the largest land area, and is also the largest in ASEAN by agricultural output value. Palm oil<\/a> is the world's largest producer, and together with Malaysia it accounts for more than 85% of world output.<\/p>\n

The Philippines holds one of the world's foremost positions in banana exports, but nearly twenty typhoons on average a year approach or make landfall, with a high risk of severe damage to crops. It is ASEAN's only net rice-importing country and bears a vulnerability in food security.<\/p>\n

In Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, agriculture still accounts for a high share of GDP and employment, making agriculture's importance to economic development stand out.<\/p>\n

\n

The Structure and Challenges of Vietnamese Agriculture<\/h2>\n

Vietnamese agriculture is supported by the Red River Delta in the north and the Mekong Delta in the south, and the Mekong Delta is one of the world's foremost producing regions, accounting for more than half of domestic rice production. The central highlands are a major producing region for plantation crops such as coffee, tea, cacao, and pepper, and this region's contribution has been large in the background of Vietnam becoming a coffee powerhouse.<\/p>\n

The 1986 Doi Moi policy<\/a> reforms granted land-use rights to individual farmers and introduced a market economy, agricultural production expanded dramatically, and in 1989 the country became a net rice exporter for the first time.<\/p>\n

At present, however, Vietnamese agriculture faces structural challenges: low added value, an undeveloped cold chain, the low productivity and aging of small-scale farmers, and food-safety and environmental problems. The average cultivated area per farmer is about 0.44 hectares, among the smallest in ASEAN countries; 97% of all agricultural workers are small and medium-scale farmers; about 57% of agricultural workers are unskilled; and the proportion aged 50 and over reaches about 43%.<\/p>\n

\n

Point for Success (1): Selecting and Optimizing the Farming Method<\/h2>\n

Using shrimp farming in Vietnam as a concrete example, let us look at the points for success.<\/p>\n

The choice of farming method is the first decision that determines a business's success or failure. Traditional extensive farming was a conventional method of flooding a vast area of land with water and releasing juvenile shrimp. With this method, unevenness arose in the feeding amount and water quality from pond to pond, becoming a factor that lowered farming efficiency.<\/p>\n

In recent years, Minh Phu, the world's largest shrimp producing and processing company, has been advancing the expansion of its own farms using a new farming method. In the new farming method, adopting farming ponds like small circular pools makes it easier to manage the farming environment. Fine water-quality monitoring and water changes become possible, and by thoroughly ensuring virus-free juvenile shrimp, no antibiotic use, and the reuse of farming water, it is possible to produce good-quality shrimp efficiently with a method of low environmental burden.<\/p>\n

In selecting a farming method, it is necessary to comprehensively evaluate the initial investment, the difficulty of management, the expected profitability, and the impact on the environment.<\/p>\n

\n Source<\/b>
\n
\n Japan Foreign Trade Council Monthly Report Online, \"Mitsui & Co. \u2014 Shrimp Farming and Processing Business in Vietnam\"
\n <\/a>
\n (2020)\n<\/p>\n

\n

Point for Success (2): Disease Countermeasures and Ensuring Traceability<\/h2>\n

The greatest risk in shrimp farming is disease.<\/p>\n

An outbreak of infectious disease can have a serious impact on the entire farming cycle. One of the challenges that Vietnam's shrimp farmers face is various infections, foremost among them white spot disease virus. To prevent these diseases, it is indispensable to select virus-free individuals from the juvenile-shrimp stage and to thoroughly carry out the farming ponds'Sanitary management<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As an example of a support platform, there are also businesses that provide inspection services specializing in screening shrimp for disease. Regular water-quality inspection and data recording make the early detection of disease and rapid response possible.<\/p>\n

\"\u30a8\u30d3\u990a\u6b96\u306e\u6c34\u8cea\u30e2\u30cb\u30bf\u30ea\u30f3\u30b0\u30b7\u30b9\u30c6\u30e0\"<\/p>\n

Ensuring traceability is also important. As certification in food production spreads worldwide, ensuring safety, reassurance, and traceability has come to be required. By introducing farm-management apps capable of managing the amount of feed and traceability, competitiveness in international markets can be raised.<\/p>\n

\n Source<\/b>
\n
\n JETRO, \"Asking Vietnamese Startups (7): Tepbac \u2014 A Shrimp-Farming Support Service\"
\n <\/a>
\n Compiled from (2025)\n<\/p>\n

\n

Point for Success (3): Making Use of IoT and Digital Technology<\/h2>\n

Digital transformation is an important point supporting a company's future growth.<\/p>\n

Rather than relying on employees' senses and experience as before, efforts have begun to use sensors installed in each pond to carry out optimal feeding that takes growth status into account and fine daily water-quality monitoring, aiming to improve feeding efficiency and reduce shrimp mortality. By introducing IoT devices for automatic monitoring of the water environment, 24-hour environmental management becomes possible, and when an abnormality occurs, an alert can be received immediately.<\/p>\n

IoT devices such as smart feeders and water-quality monitors are equipped with remote-control functions, allowing efficient management without being stationed at the farm. This makes it possible to reduce the workforce of workers engaged in farm management and processing \u2014 which had been labor-intensive \u2014 in Vietnam, where labor costs are rising.<\/p>\n

By making use of data-driven platforms, it becomes possible to analyze past farming data and scientifically determine the optimal feeding timing, water-temperature management, water-change frequency, and so on.<\/p>\n

\n

Point for Success (4): Building a Sustainable Farming System<\/h2>\n

\"\u6301\u7d9a\u53ef\u80fd\u306a\u30a8\u30d3\u990a\u6b96\u30b7\u30b9\u30c6\u30e0\u306e\u6982\u5ff5\u56f3\"<\/p>\n

Reducing environmental burden has become an important requirement in agriculture going forward.<\/p>\n

NEDO's \"Energy-Saving Integrated Shrimp Farming System\" is an innovative approach using biomass. It generates electricity using a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) fueled by biogas produced from biomass that mixes farming sludge with locally produced lemongrass waste. This is the first case of a Japan-originated effort of its kind.<\/p>\n

The Vietnamese government aims to break away from chemical substances and build sustainable shrimp farming while improving productivity and quality. However, methods for treating the sludge produced from shrimp farming have not been established, and the pollution of rivers and surrounding soil from the disposal of chemical-containing sludge has become a social challenge.<\/p>\n

In the new farming method, thoroughly reusing the farming water can greatly reduce the consumption of water resources. Also, antibiotic-free farming not only protects the environment but also makes acceptance in major export-destination markets such as the EU, Japan, and the United States easier.<\/p>\n

\n Source<\/b>
\n
\n NEDO, \"Full-Scale Operation of an Energy-Saving Integrated Shrimp Farming System Using Biomass Begins in Vietnam\"
\n <\/a>
\n (August 2024) prepared from the above\n<\/p>\n

\n

Point for Success (5): Making Use of Fundraising and Financial Services<\/h2>\n

A shortage of funds is one of the challenges shrimp farmers face.<\/p>\n

A farming business requires continuous funds for purchasing juvenile shrimp, procuring feed, capital investment, and so on. However, small-scale operators often have limited access to bank loans, and no small number struggle with cash flow.<\/p>\n

Some platforms provide financial services such as loan programs to ease the economic anxiety of farmers. By making use of farming data and traceability information, the likelihood rises that even small-scale operators who were previously not eligible for loans can receive a credit assessment.<\/p>\n

Also, by using platforms that handle farming supplies available for online procurement, the optimization of materials-procurement costs can be achieved. Bulk buying and planned purchasing make the efficient use of working capital possible.<\/p>\n

\n

Point 6 for Success: Securing Market Access and Sales Channels<\/h2>\n

\"\u30d9\u30c8\u30ca\u30e0\u30a8\u30d3\u306e\u8f38\u51fa\u5e02\u5834\u30a4\u30e1\u30fc\u30b8\"<\/p>\n

Even if you produce excellent-quality shrimp, you cannot turn a profit without the right sales channels.<\/p>\n

Vietnamese shrimp is exported worldwide, with Japan, the United States and the EU as the main markets. Minh Phu holds about 20% of Vietnam's shrimp export share and ships to roughly 50 countries, centered on the United States and Japan. Its broad product lineup, including highly processed value-added items such as breaded fried shrimp, helps it secure stable sales channels.<\/p>\n

For small-scale operators, using a marketplace that directly connects farmers with buyers is effective. Systems are emerging that cut out middleman margins while enabling fair-price transactions.<\/p>\n

In export markets, pesticide-residue and hygiene standards grow stricter every year. Meeting them will likely require obtaining GAP (Good Agricultural Practice) certification and adopting blockchain-based origin-tracing systems.<\/p>\n

\n Source<\/b>
\n
\n Japan Foreign Trade Council Monthly Report Online, \"Mitsui & Co. \u2014 Shrimp Farming and Processing Business in Vietnam\"
\n <\/a>
\n (2020)\n<\/p>\n

\n

Point 7 for Success: Continuous Learning and Use of Technical Support<\/h2>\n

Shrimp-farming technology evolves day by day.<\/p>\n

Successful farmers constantly gather the latest information and keep updating their techniques. In Vietnam, there are websites that share useful aquaculture information, giving farmers free access to specialist knowledge.<\/p>\n

For on-site support, farmers can also receive field technical assistance and inspection services through a network of aquaculture experiment stations. Direct guidance from experienced technicians offers practical knowledge that books or online information cannot.<\/p>\n

Building networks with peers also matters. success stories<\/a> By sharing success stories and failure cases, farmers can minimize risk and learn efficient farming methods. Joining industry associations and holding regular information-exchange meetings with local farmers are also effective.<\/p>\n

\n

Common Challenges in Southeast Asian Agriculture and Japan-ASEAN Cooperation<\/h2>\n

Common challenges in Southeast Asian agriculture include vulnerability to climate change, the agriculture-industry gap and the outflow of labor, and ensuring food safety and traceability.<\/p>\n

The Vietnamese government has set out its 'Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development to 2030, with a Vision to 2050,' positioning the adoption of smart agriculture as a national priority. The 'Japan-ASEAN Midori Cooperation Plan,' adopted at the Japan-ASEAN Agriculture and Forestry Ministers' Meeting in May 2023, is a comprehensive cooperation framework for building sustainable agriculture and food systems in the Asian monsoon region.<\/p>\n

This cooperation plan is an important initiative supporting agricultural development across all of Southeast Asia. Beyond individual cases like Vietnam's shrimp farming, it targets the major crops of each country, such as rice in Thailand, Indonesia's Palm oil<\/a> palm oil, the Philippines' bananas, and other key agricultural products, aiming to promote their sustainable production.<\/p>\n

\n

Conclusion: The Future of Southeast Asian Agriculture and the Potential of Vietnamese Shrimp Farming<\/h2>\n

Southeast Asia is one of the world's leading agricultural regions, and each country has its own strengths.<\/p>\n

Vietnam is an agricultural powerhouse with a population of about 100 million, boasting world-class production and export volumes across a wide range of farm products such as rice, coffee, cashew nuts, black pepper<\/a> shrimp and more. In 2023, its total agriculture, forestry and fishery exports reached about US$53 billion, accounting for over 15% of the country's total exports.<\/p>\n

As the shrimp-farming example shows, you can build a highly profitable business by comprehensively applying seven points: optimizing the farming method, controlling disease and ensuring traceability, using IoT and digital technology, building sustainable farming systems, tapping financing and financial services, securing market access and sales channels, and making use of continuous learning and technical support.<\/p>\n

Southeast Asian agriculture faces challenges such as adapting to climate change, stabilizing quality and meeting international standards, but through international cooperation like the Japan-ASEAN Midori Cooperation Plan and the adoption of smart agriculture, it holds the potential for further growth.<\/p>\n

Looking for more detailed information on the latest trends in Southeast Asian agriculture?<\/strong><\/p>\n

'Agriculture in Asia' provides comprehensive agricultural information not only on Vietnam but also on ASEAN countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. It covers production trends, market analysis, the latest technologies and policy developments for each country's major crops, including rice, coffee, cashew nuts, palm oil and bananas, offering information useful for business.<\/p>\n

You May Also Like<\/h2>\n