Commercial shrimp prices have risen sharply in Ho Chi Minh City.

Currently, the price of commercial whiteleg shrimp in key farming areas of Ho Chi Minh City is continuously increasing, reaching its highest level in many years, bringing great joy to farmers after a risky production season due to unfavorable weather and prolonged disease outbreaks. However, authorities also advise farmers to be cautious and not to rush into stocking without ensuring all necessary technical conditions are met.

Báo Tin Tức•05/01/2026

Shrimp prices have risen sharply.

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This shrimp farming season, the Cho Ben Cooperative in Long Dien commune expects to harvest approximately 30 tons of shrimp from 11 ponds, achieving high profits.

According to observations in shrimp farming areas along the coast of Ho Chi Minh City, since the beginning of December, the price of whiteleg shrimp has increased sharply from 80,000 to 100,000 VND/kg compared to nearly a month ago. Currently, high-tech farmed whiteleg shrimp of 20-25 shrimp/kg are being purchased by traders at a common price of 250,000 - 260,000 VND/kg; the 30 shrimp/kg size is priced at over 230,000 VND/kg; while smaller shrimp, about 100 shrimp/kg, also reach over 100,000 VND/kg. This is considered the highest price in many years.

With an average production cost of around 90,000 VND/kg, shrimp farmers who raise large-sized shrimp can earn a considerable profit. However, according to farmers, the current sharp price increase is not only due to year-end market demand but mainly to a severe drop in supply after several periods of extreme weather that caused shrimp diseases and mass deaths, forcing many households to abandon their ponds and reduce production.

Mr. Phan Van Duc, residing in An Hai hamlet, Phuoc Hai commune, recently finished his shrimp farming season with 6 ponds of whiteleg shrimp. He said that in early December, his family harvested shrimp at a price of about 160,000 VND/kg. Just a few days later, the price of shrimp skyrocketed to 260,000 VND/kg for the 25 shrimp/kg size. “My family stocked the ponds in September, but this year's weather was so unfavorable that we lost two ponds, only keeping six to try and maintain until harvest. Although the selling price wasn't high at the time, I was lucky to still make a profit. Currently, due to the disease causing a sharp decrease in supply, the high price of shrimp is understandable,” Mr. Duc shared.

Mr. Duc's family is raising whiteleg shrimp using the high-tech CPF Combine model on a total area of 18 hectares, with 24 ponds and a closed-loop system of settling and water treatment ponds. Despite applying strict procedures from the seed selection stage to care, extreme weather events still increase mortality rates, significantly impacting production efficiency.

Similarly, Mr. Bui The Vuong, representative of Cho Ben Cooperative in Long Dien commune, said that the cooperative currently maintains 11 whiteleg shrimp ponds, each about 1,000 m², along with nursery and settling ponds to ensure a reliable water supply. On average, each pond yields about 3 tons per crop. “This crop, the cooperative harvested more than 30 tons of shrimp. With selling prices ranging from 230,000 to 260,000 VND/kg depending on size, we made a good profit, enough to compensate for the costs and losses from some ponds that were affected by disease earlier,” Mr. Vuong said.

However, according to Mr. Vuong, the year-end farming season faced many disadvantages, resulting in slow shrimp growth and extending the farming period from 3 months to 4 months, while increasing costs for feed, electricity, and biological products. "High selling prices help farmers make a profit, but if they are complacent, the risk of disease outbreaks can wipe out all their hard work in a short time," Mr. Vuong emphasized.

Faced with unpredictable weather and disease outbreaks, many cooperatives and individual farmers have proactively adjusted their production methods. The Quyet Thang Agricultural and Service Cooperative in Long Huong ward is one example. This cooperative has shifted from high-density farming to low-density farming, reducing the density from 500 shrimp/m² to approximately 200 shrimp/m², and has also invested in a separate nursery pond right on the farm to shorten the rearing time from over 3 months to just over 2 months per crop.

Mr. Nguyen Kim Chuyen, Director of the cooperative, said that raising shrimp at a lower density helps them grow better, reduces the risk of disease, and makes it easier to control the pond environment. Although the yield per season has decreased, we have increased the number of farming cycles per year from 3 to 5, rotating the ponds to compensate for the decrease in yield. Most importantly, it reduces risks and allows us to be more proactive in the face of price fluctuations.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Fisheries and Aquaculture Inspection Department, the total area for shrimp farming in the city remains stable at approximately 9,950 hectares, with an estimated production of 23,484 tons in 2025. The main farming models include intensive, semi-intensive, and high-tech farming.

The city's high-tech shrimp farming area covers approximately 262 hectares, yielding over 10,135 tons per year. Common farming methods include floating ponds, circular ponds lined with tarpaulin and covered, and farming in greenhouses with densities ranging from 250 to 500 shrimp per square meter. Thanks to the application of technology, many facilities achieve yields of 30-50 tons per hectare per crop and can raise 3-4 crops per year.

The city's fisheries sector assesses that, in the context of increasingly extreme weather, high-tech shrimp farming not only helps to increase productivity but also serves as an important "shield" to minimize the risk of disease outbreaks and economic losses.

Don't be complacent.

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Caring for commercial whiteleg shrimp at the high-tech shrimp farm of Quyet Thang Agricultural and Service Cooperative, Long Huong Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.

Given the rising price of shrimp, the Ho Chi Minh City Fisheries and Aquaculture Inspection Department advises farmers to be cautious and avoid stocking shrimp indiscriminately without ensuring all necessary technical conditions are met. Monthly, the specialized agency conducts monitoring, collects water samples, and issues environmental warnings in farming areas, while also guiding farmers on disease prevention and control measures.

According to Mr. Doan Van Nam, Deputy Head of the Aquaculture Management Department, Ho Chi Minh City Fisheries and Fisheries Inspection Sub-Department, for the year-end farming season, farmers need to regularly check environmental indicators such as temperature, salinity, pH, and toxic gas content in the ponds; pay attention to any unusual signs in the shrimp to take timely action. During hot days or heavy rain, it is necessary to increase water aeration to minimize thermal and saline shock. In addition, using agricultural lime or quicklime to spread on the pond banks before and after rain; supplementing with biological products and microorganisms to stabilize water quality; and periodically supplementing vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, in the feed... are considered important solutions to help increase the resistance of farmed shrimp.

Mr. Nam also noted that before filling the ponds with water, it must go through a standard settling, filtering, and treatment system; strictly control pH levels, limit the toxicity of NH₄⁺ and NO₂, and harvest shrimp when they reach marketable size to reduce risks related to price and disease.

The soaring price of commercial shrimp is providing a major boost to shrimp farmers in Ho Chi Minh City after a turbulent year. However, the reality shows that only well-structured farming models with good risk control and strong market linkages can truly capitalize on this "golden opportunity" from the rising prices.

In the context of climate change increasingly impacting agricultural production, the challenge of sustainable shrimp farming development lies not only in short-term price fluctuations but also in adaptability, risk management, and increasing added value. This is also a long-term direction to ensure shrimp farmers can confidently commit to the profession, contributing to stable livelihoods and the development of the city's aquatic economy in the coming years.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/gia-tom-thuong-pham-tang-manh-tai-tp-ho-chi-minh-20260105104931762.htm