As one of the items with a large contribution to Vietnam's seafood export turnover, shellfish and other seafood species are forecast to follow the export growth trend and continue to increase in the last months of 2024.

Processing whole clams at the factory of Lenger Vietnam Seafood Company Limited, An Xa Industrial Park, Nam Dinh Province. Photo: Vu Sinh/VNA

Shellfish are widely consumed.

According to statistics from the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietnam's shellfish export turnover in the first 7 months of 2024 is estimated to reach more than 95 million USD, an increase of more than 24% over the same period in 2023; of which, clams are estimated to reach 52 million USD, scallops are estimated to reach 14 million USD, snails are estimated to reach 16 million USD, oysters are estimated to reach more than 8 million USD, and other seafood are estimated to reach nearly 4 million USD. Among the products, snail exports have the highest growth rate compared to the same period in 2023, more than 57%.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Van Ha, a fish market expert from the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, said that in 7 months, China increased its import of clams and mussels from Vietnam by 120 times compared to the same period in 2003. Other types of live, fresh or chilled mollusks also had a strong increase in export value, reaching more than 7 million USD, an increase of nearly 82 times compared to the same period. In recent times, not only China but also other countries have been increasing their import of Vietnamese mollusks.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam has over 41,500 hectares of mollusk farming (mainly bivalve mollusks) with an output of about 265,000 tons/year; of which, clams reach 179,000 tons/year. The value chain of this industry is creating jobs for about 200,000 workers. In the southern provinces, shellfish are concentrated in coastal areas such as Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, and Tien Giang. However, due to weather conditions this year affected by climate change and saltwater intrusion, the output of shellfish, especially clam products, is forecast to decrease sharply.

According to Mr. Tran Truong Giang, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tra Vinh, the whole province of Tra Vinh has 800 hectares of commercial clam farming area, concentrated in 11 cooperatives. The 11 cooperatives that are raising clams in the province have all suffered a decrease in productivity; of which, 4 cooperatives have a decrease in productivity of over 50%. The clam harvest has decreased sharply; in which, the cause is that fresh water comes early and lasts about 2 months compared to previous years, causing clams to grow slowly or die due to reduced resistance. In the face of adverse environmental impacts on clam output, the provincial agricultural sector is closely monitoring and providing technical support to help clam farming develop sustainably.

Shellfish exports are being promoted thanks to the increasing demand for bivalves as an intact food source. Ms. Nguyen Thi Van Ha assessed that the export demand for this item in the last months of 2024 will increase, provided that businesses have enough raw materials.

Other seafood with great export prospects

Along with shellfish, other types of Vietnamese seafood are also being prioritized by many markets for consumption, especially during the food preparation period for festivals at the end of 2024.

A representative of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers said that markets are also stepping up imports of products such as rock lobster, octopus, crab, etc.; in which, the Chinese market is currently stepping up imports of rock lobster from Vietnam. Specifically, in the first 7 months of 2024, the Chinese market increased imports of rock lobster and other types of marine shrimp, estimated at more than 111 million USD, an increase of 32% over the same period in 2023. The market share of rock lobster from Vietnam increased from 1% last year to 25.3% in the total import value of this item into China this year. At the same time, frozen rock lobster also increased by 682%, reaching more than 4.7 million USD.

For crabs, China and Hong Kong (China) are still the largest import markets for crabs and other crustaceans from Vietnam, accounting for 43% of Vietnam's total export turnover. The export value to this market is increasing rapidly at a 3 to 4-digit rate compared to the same period and maintaining continuous growth every month. In July 2024 alone, crab and other crustacean exports to this market increased by 20 times compared to the same period, reaching nearly 13 million USD. In the 7 months, the cumulative export to this market reached nearly 63 million USD, an increase of 623%. For the US and Canada markets, exports to these two markets are also growing positively, with increases of 30% and 44% respectively.

Meanwhile, exports to Japan have been on a continuous downward trend in the past 3 months. The export value of crabs and other crustaceans to Japan in the first 7 months decreased slightly by 0.3%, reaching more than 40 million USD.

Exports of other seafood to European markets also showed signs of a slight decline. The export value of crabs to Europe in the first 7 months decreased by 46% compared to the same period last year. The fact that the European Commission continues to maintain the "yellow card" warning for Vietnam's seafood industry is affecting seafood exports to this market.

The Import-Export Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade assessed that, excluding temporary declines in some markets, the market share of many Vietnamese seafood products in China's total imports in the first 7 months increased compared to the same period in 2023, even though some products had a decrease in value. This shows that Vietnamese seafood products still have relatively good competitiveness in the Chinese market and some Asian markets in the coming time.

Source: CafeF