Ca Mau crab sold to the US for the first time was "sold out"

First export to the US sold out

On December 17, Ms. Doan Thi Anh Thu, Director of Vua Cua Trading and Service Joint Stock Company, said that she had just exported the first shipment to the US with 11 tons of crab, 5 tons of snails, 2 tons of whiteleg shrimp, and 2 tons of crayfish. All are pre-processed seasoning products, just need to be thawed and heated up to be used immediately.

Among these, Ca Mau crab is the most impressive product, because this is the first time the Ca Mau instant crab brand is sold at 200 markets and supermarkets in the US.

"The products exported to the US are selling very well, customers want to buy more but I don't have enough products to sell. I'm still very happy but I'm trying to balance and continue to focus on production," Ms. Thu shared with Dan Tri reporter.

Cua Cà Mau lần đầu bán sang Mỹ đã cháy hàng - 1 — Processed Ca Mau crabs in a supermarket serving Vietnamese and Asian people in the US (Photo: NVCC).

"Currently, I have just received an order from a large company in Europe but it is still in the process of being transacted. We are afraid that our production capacity will not be enough to supply the market, but we will try to maintain the quality to maintain the Ca Mau crab brand," said Ms. Thu.

According to Ms. Thu, in the difficult economic situation, it is a very good thing that businesses have export orders. Therefore, business owners must be more careful and maintain quality to ensure long-term reputation.

"I want to increase the value of Vietnamese seafood, crabs and spices," Ms. Thu shared.

Need to get rid of the idea that frozen goods are bad

To export instant crab to the US, Ms. Anh Thu had to spend 2 years researching the formula and completing the legal procedures. In the context of Vietnamese raw seafood exports constantly being forced down in price, the idea of pre-processing and freezing is considered a new breakthrough that opens up many opportunities for the Ca Mau crab brand in particular and Vietnamese seafood in general.

"Two years ago, I came up with the idea of producing frozen Ca Mau crabs and asked many experienced crab farmers, but they all said I was "crazy". I kept thinking that if something can be done successfully a few times, anyone can do it. So I tried many different ways but failed, the finished crabs were mushy and of poor quality," Ms. Thu said.

Cua Cà Mau lần đầu bán sang Mỹ đã cháy hàng - 2 — A shipment of 11 tons of ready-made Ca Mau crabs is sold at supermarkets and markets in many states in the US for 25-27 USD/550 gram box (crab meat and crab roe) (Photo: NVCC).

By 2022, the owner of Vua Cua continued to return to research, analyze the finished product, break down the processing process and achieve successful results.

Ms. Thu believes that many Vietnamese people have prejudices against frozen products, making this product struggle in the domestic market. Thinking of taking a risk, she decided to bring Ca Mau crab to the US, processed with spices and frozen.

"I think once the US market accepts it, it is completely possible to convince the domestic market," Ms. Thu hopes.

Consumers love Ca Mau crab because of its superior quality compared to many other types of crab. In the US, live or steamed Ca Mau crab has been sold for a long time, but most businesses have been forced to lower prices and struggle to create a brand.

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