In the expanded development space after the merger, Ca Mau province doubles the potential, strengths in resources, production scale, labor resources , market and competitiveness of the shrimp industry. Currently, the aquaculture area of the whole province is over 455,000 hectares, of which the shrimp farming area is over 427,000 hectares, making Ca Mau the largest aquaculture center in the country.

National key shrimp production area

Bac Lieu and Ca Mau (old) are known as the largest shrimp farming and processing centers in the country, with relatively developed farming, processing infrastructure and supply chains. After the merger, Ca Mau province (new) has the largest shrimp farming area in Vietnam (over 427,000 hectares); total annual shrimp output reaches over 900 thousand tons; export turnover can reach 2.5 billion USD/year in 2025 and exceed 3 billion USD/year in the next few years. The density of seafood processing enterprises, seafood industrial parks, fishing ports, and logistics serving the shrimp industry is among the top in the country.

After the merger, Ca Mau province is the locality with the largest shrimp farming area in the country with over 427,000 hectares.

According to the Directorate of Fisheries, in 2024, the Vietnamese shrimp industry overcame many challenges, achieving an export turnover of over 4 billion USD, an increase of 14% compared to 2023, contributing to the record of 10 billion USD of the entire fisheries industry. The top 3 provinces leading shrimp farming in the Mekong Delta include: Ca Mau (1.65 billion USD), Bac Lieu (1.21 billion USD) and Soc Trang (over 900 million USD). Currently, the 2 leading provinces have merged into one, the shrimp production industry in Ca Mau is like a "full sail", with the opportunity to reach new heights in the future.

Mr. Trinh Trung Phi, Deputy General Director of Technical, Deputy General Director of Commercial Shrimp of Viet Uc Bac Lieu Joint Stock Company, said: "The country leading in shrimp production in the world, Ecuador, only has 215,611 hectares of shrimp farming, the second country - India also only has 191,882 hectares, while Ca Mau province currently has over 427,000 hectares. Brackish water shrimp is still a high-end key product in the world's food chain and the demand by 2032 will double the current output, so the room for Ca Mau to develop the shrimp industry is very large."

According to Mr. Luu Hoang Ly, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the merger of the provinces will create conditions for the formation of "national key shrimp production areas", with synchronous planning and investment, while enhancing the ability to attract domestic and foreign investment capital, especially investment in high technology, seed production, deep processing and development of Vietnamese shrimp product brands.

In 2024, Ca Mau province (old) will achieve shrimp export turnover of 1.265 billion USD and Bac Lieu province (old) will achieve 1.21 billion USD, being the two leading localities in the top 3 nationwide.

Mr. Le Van Quang, General Director of Minh Phu Seafood Corporation, commented and shared: "Space, potential, and advantages will be opened up, making Ca Mau province increasingly rich, and people's lives more developed. Minh Phu has been making every effort, wishing to contribute a part of its efforts to the country in general, and Ca Mau province in particular, to move forward with shrimp."

National high-tech shrimp center

Ca Mau is currently leading the Mekong Delta region and the whole country in terms of area, scale and output with many shrimp farming models such as: intensive, super-intensive, shrimp - forest, rice - shrimp... Notably, the high-tech shrimp farming model (intensive, super-intensive, semi-intensive) has proven to be more effective than other farming models, such as contributing to increasing productivity, minimizing disease risks, and helping farmers optimize the production process.

Area of high-tech shrimp farming of farmers in Vinh Hau commune. Photo: HUU THO

Currently, Ca Mau has a total area of super-intensive, intensive and semi-intensive shrimp farming of 40,000 hectares, striving to reach 45,300 hectares by 2030. The province has established a high-tech agricultural zone for shrimp development, which is an important preparation step to create a foundation, making Ca Mau the center of the shrimp industry of the whole country.

Mr. Pham Hoang Minh, Director of the Management Board of Bac Lieu High-Tech Shrimp Development Agricultural Zone, said: "Bac Lieu High-Tech Shrimp Development Agricultural Zone was established under Decision No. 694/QD-TTg, dated May 24, 2017 of the Prime Minister, with an area of 418 hectares, located in Hiep Thanh ward, with a total investment capital of nearly 370 billion VND. This place will be the "nucleus" to influence, lead and replicate high-tech shrimp farming models of the province, Ca Mau Peninsula, Mekong Delta and the whole country.

Viet Uc Bac Lieu Joint Stock Company is a large-scale investment enterprise in the Bac Lieu High-Tech Shrimp Development Agricultural Zone, with a 10-hectare Viet Uc high-tech shrimp farming and production complex. Mr. Trinh Trung Phi said: "For many years, the investment in commercial shrimp has not really brought high efficiency. However, in the past 3 years, there has been a significant improvement, with a profit increase of about 30 billion VND per year. The results of the first 6 months of 2025 show that the efficiency has begun to be quite clear, it is expected to harvest over 1,200 tons of large-sized shrimp (20-50 shrimp/kg); it is estimated that after putting all the land area into use, the output will be from 3,000-5,000 tons of high-quality shrimp completely free of antibiotics and meeting ASC, BAP standards... for the world's high-end market".

Mr. Huynh Quoc Viet (fourth from left), Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, and leaders of departments and branches visited the high-tech shrimp farming model in Dong Hai commune. Photo: HUU THO

During the inspection of the operation of the Bac Lieu High-Tech Shrimp Development Agricultural Zone on July 20, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Van Su emphasized that the province expects this to be the locomotive leading Ca Mau to become the "capital" of the shrimp industry of the whole country, as well as a place to train high-tech human resources in the shrimp industry, receive and transfer scientific and technical advances to serve the shrimp industry of the province, the Ca Mau Peninsula, the Mekong Delta and the whole country. The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested the Management Board to coordinate with relevant units to focus on promoting the implementation of tasks according to the Project plan, creating a breakthrough in local socio-economic development.

With its outstanding advantages and the recently approved breakthrough shrimp industry development plan, Ca Mau is taking steady steps to become the leading effective and sustainable shrimp farming center in the country.

Loan Phuong - Trung Dung - Hoang Lam

Lesson 2: Raising clean shrimp, conquering demanding markets

Source: https://baocamau.vn/khi-thu-phu-tom-cang-buom-ra-bien-lon-bai-1-nhan-doi-the-manh-a121378.html