Tilapia: Potential breakthrough factor in aquaculture

(Chinhphu.vn) - Not simply an easy-to-raise aquatic species, tilapia is gradually becoming a strategic commodity. If natural advantages are well utilized, technology is improved and export value is increased, tilapia can contribute more strongly to the goal of bringing Vietnam's aquatic products to a turnover of 20 billion USD by 2030.

Tropical climate and abundant water resources give Vietnam a special advantage in developing tilapia - Photo: Nghe An Newspaper

Maintain output of 300 thousand tons/year

According to the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Control ( Ministry of Agriculture and Environment ), Vietnam's tilapia output is currently about 300 thousand tons/year, of which 220 thousand tons were produced in the first 6 months of 2025, showing a positive growth rate.

Mr. Nhu Van Can, Deputy Director of the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Control, said that the tropical climate and abundant water resources give Vietnam a special advantage in developing tilapia. Farming models are also very diverse: cage farming in reservoirs, pond farming, farming in freshwater, brackish water, and even research to expand to coastal areas with salt-tolerant fish strains.

Globally , China is the largest producer of tilapia, followed by Indonesia, Egypt, and Brazil. Southeast Asia, Thailand, and the Philippines also prioritize the development of this fish species. With increasing global demand – especially in the US, Europe, and South America – tilapia is considered a highly competitive product.

In Vietnam, export markets are expanding. In addition to the United States – where tilapia is a popular seafood product – 2025 saw the first shipments to Brazil, opening up a new direction for the industry.

For sustainable development, tilapia is included in the list of priority subjects in the Vietnam Fisheries Development Strategy to 2020 (Decision 1690/QD-TTg) and continues to be affirmed in the National Aquaculture Development Program for the period 2021 - 2030 (Decision 985/QD-TTg).

The Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance also regularly conducts environmental monitoring in concentrated farming areas to prevent diseases and ensure product quality for export.

In terms of research, since the 1990s, Vietnam has cooperated internationally to select and breed tilapia, typically the GIFT strain and all-male tilapia, which help them grow quickly and produce high fillet rates. Currently, the Research Institute for Aquaculture I and II continues the new breeding program, aiming at tilapia that grows quickly and is salt-tolerant, meeting the farming needs of both inland and coastal areas.

Despite good growth in output, Vietnamese tilapia is facing fierce competition from countries with similar farming conditions such as China, the Philippines, and Thailand. To improve competitiveness, the key solution is to reduce production costs, of which feed costs account for 60–70%.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is directing research on alternative protein sources from plants (soybeans, corn) to reduce costs and increase feed conversion efficiency (reduce FCR). Domestic enterprises are also shifting to large-scale intensive farming, applying technology in management and quality control.

Along with that, building concentrated, specialized farming areas based on the advantages of each locality and developing tilapia farming in reservoirs will help Vietnam both increase output and stabilize quality for export.

With an output of about 300,000 tons/year, tilapia has gone beyond the scale of small-scale farming households, becoming an industrial product. Experts say that the development orientation of tilapia must be associated with the thinking of aquaculture economics, which means producing according to market demand, promoting competitive advantages and aiming for high added value.

In the long term, tilapia could become one of the three main products alongside shrimp and pangasius, creating a new balance for the structure of Vietnam’s seafood industry. Improving productivity, reducing costs, ensuring food safety and building the Vietnamese tilapia brand in the international market will be the key tasks in the coming period.

From a fish species that once suffered from many prejudices, tilapia is asserting its important position in the Vietnamese seafood industry. With biological advantages, favorable natural conditions, a complete legal framework and increasing international market demand, tilapia promises to become one of Vietnam's key products in the coming period.

To realize this potential, the aquaculture industry needs to continue investing in breeds, farming technology, feed and food safety management, thereby building a strong Vietnamese tilapia brand in the global market.

Do Huong

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/ca-ro-phi-nhan-to-tiem-nang-but-pha-trong-thuy-san-102250909161903384.htm