The shrimp seed market in Kien Giang is bustling.

In An Minh district, farmers are urgently looking to buy shrimp seeds to release in time for the first shrimp crop of 2025. Businesses and shrimp seed suppliers are offering many incentives to encourage people to buy.

With 3 hectares of extensive black tiger shrimp farming, Mr. Nguyen Van Viet, residing in Can Gao hamlet, Dong Hung B commune (An Minh) releases 30,000 shrimp fry. “This year, the price of shrimp fry is stable, not increasing. To have quality shrimp fry, I buy from a familiar business in the district, in addition to the buy 1 get 1 free promotion, I also get a discount of 10 VND/shrimp fry,” said Mr. Viet.

People in An Minh district count the fish fry purchased at Duong Hung Aquatic Breeds Limited Company.

According to a survey in some districts in the province, the price of shrimp larvae of all kinds ranges from a few dozen dong to nearly 200 dong/post. Depending on the budget and scale of shrimp farming, farmers choose shrimp at an appropriate price. Mr. Nguyen Hong Son, residing in Kinh Nam Hamlet, An Minh Bac Commune (U Minh Thuong) said: "I choose to buy domesticated shrimp larvae from large, reputable companies because their shrimp larvae are uniform, disease-free, and grow quickly. I absolutely do not buy cheap floating shrimp larvae."

According to many farmers, the first shrimp crop of the year was quite favorable thanks to the suitable salinity in the canals for shrimp development, plus the quality of the shrimp fry, so the loss was less than before. Each farmer chose a different source of shrimp fry.

Farmers in An Bien, Vinh Thuan, and U Minh Thuong districts often choose to buy shrimp seeds from brands such as Phuoc Thang Ninh Thuan, Duong Hung, and Binh Minh... Domesticated shrimp prices range from 159 to 168 VND/post for black tiger shrimp and 128 to 138 VND/post for super-growth whiteleg shrimp, equivalent to the same period in 2023 and 2024.

In addition to selling directly to farmers, reducing intermediaries, shrimp seed businesses and agents also organize seminars, introduce shrimp seeds, and provide instructions on shrimp farming techniques. Some shrimp seed production businesses also have a 100% promotion program in the form of buy 1 get 1 free for whiteleg shrimp, and a 20% promotion for domesticated black tiger shrimp.

Technical staff of Duong Hung Aquatic Seed Company Limited checks shrimp seeds before delivering them to customers.

Mr. Nguyen Van Neu - Sales Director of Phuoc Thang Ninh Thuan Aquatic Breeding Company Limited in Kien Giang said that domesticated black tiger shrimp is a shrimp breed that has been genetically improved to have better characteristics such as increased growth ability, disease resistance, and increased productivity, so it is chosen by many farmers in Kien Giang. "In 2024, the company sold 1.4 billion shrimp seeds. In the first 2 months of 2025 alone, the company exported more than 20 million black tiger shrimp and white-leg shrimp, 6 million more than the same period in 2024," Mr. Neu said.

Not only tiger shrimp, the purchasing power of green crab and giant freshwater prawn also increased sharply at the beginning of the season in shrimp farming areas, because these are the species that farmers raise together with tiger shrimp and whiteleg shrimp. Currently, crabs the size of peppercorns cost 250 VND/each, crabs the size of tamarind seeds cost 1,000 VND/each.

The most popular product at present is all-male giant freshwater prawns because it is the peak season for farmers to raise them. The price ranges from 130-140 VND/each, an increase of 20-40 VND/each compared to 1 month ago. Mr. Nguyen Van Gioi, residing in Kim Quy B hamlet, Van Khanh commune (An Minh) said: "Currently, the price of all-male giant freshwater prawns continues to increase. Agents only accept orders 7-10 days in advance, but only quote prices 3 days in advance because the price is constantly increasing."

Article and photos: AN LAM

Source: https://www.baokiengiang.vn/kinh-te/thi-truong-tom-giong-tai-kien-giang-soi-dong-24853.html