Vietnam shrimp industry faces technology and seed supply challenges

Vietnam's shrimp industry faces critical challenges regarding technological application and seed autonomy. While technology such as Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), biofloc, AI, and IoT is increasingly being integrated to control environments and reduce labor costs, the industry struggles to turn these tools into a competitive advantage due to high costs and production inefficiencies.

A recent workshop organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development highlighted that Vietnam produces approximately 1.29 million tons of brackish water shrimp annually, with export turnover reaching about $4.6 billion. However, significant dependencies remain. The industry relies heavily on imported broodstock for whiteleg shrimp, and lobster seed production is largely insufficient, meeting only about 10% of the domestic demand for spotted spiny lobsters, while green lobster seeds are entirely imported.

Experts emphasize that the core issue is not merely the availability of technology, but the ability to implement it synchronously across the value chain. Improving the quality of broodstock, controlling diseases, and ensuring traceability are essential to meeting the annual demand for 150-160 billion shrimp seeds.