Bringing sturgeon up to the mountains to raise eggs, price 40 million VND/kg

Sturgeon are a valuable cold-water fish, especially their salted sturgeon roe (caviar), which is highly sought after in the global and Vietnamese markets.

In Vietnam, from 2004-2005, fertilized sturgeon eggs were imported by the Research Institute for Aquaculture I and successfully tested in Sa Pa district (Lao Cai province). In 2006, sturgeon were introduced for experimental farming in Lam Dong province .

Currently, sturgeon farming is being expanded to 21 provinces, mainly in the mountainous areas of Northern Vietnam and the Central Highlands. Sturgeon production increased sharply from 75 tons in 2007 to 4,303 tons in 2023. It is estimated that in the first six months of this year, production of this fish reached nearly 2,000 tons.

Lam Dong and Lao Cai are key sturgeon farming regions, concentrating many large-scale farming facilities in Vietnam. Specifically, Lam Dong's production reached 1,200 tons in 2021, 1,500 tons in 2022, and 2,297 tons in 2023; while Lao Cai's sturgeon production in those years reached 239 tons, 757 tons, and 665 tons respectively.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Chau, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Lam Dong province, the province has approximately 109 cold-water fish farming facilities, mainly raising sturgeon, with a total area of about 54 hectares and 640 cages and rafts on irrigation and hydroelectric reservoirs. Revenue from sturgeon farming is estimated at 450 billion VND, significantly contributing to the value of aquaculture production, increasing income for organizations and individuals, and developing the local economy.

W-ca tam.png — Vietnam ranks among the top 10 countries in the world for sturgeon farming. Photo: Le Duong

Every year, the facilities also produce over 5 million sturgeon fingerlings to meet local farming needs and for export to several provinces nationwide, Mr. Chau said.

The development of sturgeon farming in recent years has placed Vietnam among the top 10 sturgeon-producing countries in the world, including: China, Russia, Italy, Bulgaria, Iran, the United States, France, Poland, and Germany.

Besides raising sturgeon for commercial purposes, many sturgeon farms in the mountains of our country also raise sturgeon for roe production, which is then processed into high-end products to meet the needs of both the domestic and export markets.

In 2020, the estimated production of processed sturgeon roe nationwide reached 3 tons. The main sturgeon farming and caviar processing areas are concentrated in Lam Dong province. Within this province, facilities are investing in both commercial farming and developing several sturgeon species for processing into caviar products.

In recent years, facilities in Lam Dong province have invested in processing technology lines for farmed sturgeon roe to sell in the domestic market and for export.

Accordingly, the production of sturgeon roe by businesses in Lam Dong province has continuously increased. Specifically, production reached 1 ton in 2017 and approximately 2 tons in 2020. The technology for processing canned caviar is becoming increasingly sophisticated, meeting the ever-growing demands of the market.

Vietnamese caviar sells for around 40 million VND/kg on the market, which is cheaper than imported salted caviar.

China is the world's largest producer of caviar, followed by European countries including Russia, Italy, France, Poland, and Germany.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the consumption of caviar is increasing. Currently, the total global demand for caviar is approximately 2,000 tons per year.

Caviar and caviar substitutes have recently become increasingly popular globally. The future of the sturgeon and caviar trade is promising, as sturgeon farms and consumer markets are rapidly expanding worldwide.

If caviar production continues at its current rate, the supply of caviar could exceed consumer demand. High production rates, coupled with diversification of caviar sources, allow for greater access to this traditional luxury caviar market.

Consequently, caviar will no longer be so expensive. By lowering the price, consumers with average incomes can become customers of caviar.