The initiative was announced on January 13 by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien and a delegation from the US Embassy in Vietnam.
The US-Vietnam Aquaculture Value Chain Partnership project aims to seeks to raise tilapia output while improving quality and increase exports to the US and regional markets.
Agricultural Minister-Counselor Ralph Bean said the five-year project seeks to grow Vietnam’s tilapia exports past a billion dollars.
“Implemented under the US Food for Progress Program, the project is designed to improve the tilapia value chain in Vietnam, while strengthening trade in soybean-based aquafeed and tilapia products. Over the five-year implementation period, we aim to achieve a cumulative tilapia output of 1.21 million tonnes, with total sales value estimated at U$1.25 billion.”
The project will also encourage the use of soy-based aquafeed, boosting export of soybeans from the US to Vietnam.
“The project will facilitate increased imports of high-quality soybean products for aquaculture feed, while also expanding trade in tilapia to the US market, the regional market, and Vietnam’s domestic market,” said Bean.
This initiative will be led by Lutheran World Relief (LWR) in collaboration with Vietnamese partners and the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) under the American Soybean Association (ASA).
The project is expected to benefit more than 24,224 stakeholders, including farming households, commercial farms, processing facilities, units under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), and relevant industry associations.
An essential partnership
According to the Department of Science and Technology, the quality of seed stock and production processes in Vietnam remains limited, making it difficult for tilapia to fully meet export requirements.
The department stressed that “an integrated, end-to-end control of the entire production process” was needed to improve product quality.
In response to these challenges, the project will concentrate on six interconnected areas.
These included developing aquaculture feed and seed supply systems, establishing demonstration models, strengthening capacity and providing support to producers, improving access to finance for micro and small enterprises, supplying in-kind support and equipment for hatcheries, and expanding market access while promoting tilapia trade domestically and internationally.
Phung said the project was a “right and well-targeted” move, creating an important source of resources to support Vietnam’s tilapia development plan through 2030.
In addition to key production areas, like the Red River Delta and the Mekong Delta, he suggested developing striped tilapia and red tilapia strains in the central and southern regions to fully leverage geographic advantages.
“Tilapia has the advantage of fast growth and good flesh quality. Meanwhile, Vietnam has a strong pool of experts, and many enterprises are shifting decisively toward this species. I am confident that, with the current potential, export value will not stop at U$1.2 billion,” he said.
Project schedule
The project is being officially introduced to the government of Vietnam and is expected to begin in March.
From March to September, activities will focus on baseline studies, mobilisation of funding and the initial implementation of funded actions.
These would include promotional outreach, improvements in broodstock tilapia quality and support for hatcheries.
From October onwards, the project is expected to scale up technical assistance, roll out training programmes, strengthen capacity building and provide financial support to stakeholders.
