Fish fry prices start to increase

At this time, although the flood water has not returned and the purchasing power of many types of fish has not increased sharply, the prices of many types of fish have increased significantly compared to previous months and the same period last year. This year, it is forecasted that there will likely be no major floods in the Mekong Delta, and farmers in many places will continue to increase the production of the third rice crop, so the demand for buying fish for raising in the fields will decrease. However, people still have the need to buy fish for raising in ponds, ditches, cages, etc.

Buy and sell fish seeds at Nguyen fish seed facility in Can Tho city.

Fish seed prices increase

Currently, the price of many types of fish such as perch, tilapia, carp, red tilapia, striped snakehead fish, and black mackerel... has increased by at least 5,000-50,000 VND/kg or 100-300 VND/fish compared to previous months and compared to the same period in 2024.

At many fish breeding establishments in Can Tho City, the price of striped striped catfish fry (120-150 fish/kg) is at 160,000-180,000 VND/kg, while in the same period last year the price was only 120,000-150,000 VND/kg. The price of yellow catfish, perch and carp fry sold at many fish breeding establishments is at 100,000-140,000 VND/kg (100-150 fish/kg). This is also the highest price in many years. The price of tilapia, bighead carp, silver carp, grass carp, loach and pink fish fry sold to consumers in many places is at 70,000-90,000 VND/kg (80,000-120 fish/kg). Catfish (size from cage 12 to cage 16) costs 1,500-2,000 VND/fish; white pomfret (size from cage 12 to cage 16) costs 500-600 VND/fish. Loach (longer than 1 inch) costs 5,000-6,500 VND/fish; snakehead fish (size from cage 10 to cage 12) costs 800-1,000 VND/fish...

The prices of many types of fish fry have increased due to increased input production costs, as well as reduced supply. This year, the supply of some types of fish fry (perch, striped snakehead fish, etc.) has decreased due to difficulties in production and high loss rates in rearing fry due to unfavorable weather and production conditions, as well as because people have reduced fish fry production due to previous losses. Many households participating in fish fry production in Can Tho City have stopped or switched to other agricultural production, especially cultivation, so the area for fish fry rearing has also decreased sharply compared to previous years. The price of fish fry has also increased thanks to the support of high commercial fish prices. In addition, recently, the main fish farmed for export in the Mekong Delta is tra fish, which has been sold at a high price. Many households have focused on producing tra fish fry and reduced the production of other types of fish fry.

However, currently, there are fish species such as snakehead fish, catfish, eel... that still maintain stable prices, even slightly decrease compared to previous months and the same period last year due to weak purchasing power, as well as the decrease in commercial fish prices (meat fish). The price of snakehead fish fingerlings (cage size 14) in many places is around 2,500 VND/fish; eel fingerlings (500-1,000 fish/kg) 2,800-3,600 VND/fish; and catfish price 45,000-50,000 VND/kg. Notably, after increasing to a record high in the first months of this year, recently the price of pangasius fingerlings has decreased sharply due to increased supply and decreased prices of commercial pangasius. The price of 30-35 catfish fingerlings per kilogram in many places is currently at 26,000-28,000 VND/kg, while in the first months of the year it sometimes reached 45,000-50,000 VND/kg. Compared to the same period in 2024, the current price of catfish fingerlings is still about 5,000 VND/kg higher.

Expect purchasing power to increase

Every year, farmers in many localities in the Mekong Delta often promote the farming of freshwater fish and aquatic products during the flood season months due to favorable water resources. Currently, red water has appeared in almost all rivers and large canals in the Mekong Delta, signaling the beginning of the flood season (flood season). Although the flood water has not returned much, because it has entered the rainy season, the water source on rivers, canals and ditches in many places has become abundant and the weather is also cool, favorable for people to develop the farming of fish and aquatic products according to many different models. The 2025 summer-autumn rice crop in many places has also been harvested, helping farmers to immediately start raising fish in rice fields. Therefore, the purchasing power of many types of fish fry will increase and is forecast to increase in the future.

Mr. Le Thai Nguyen , owner of Nguyen fish breeding facility in Thoi Binh B area, O Mon ward, Can Tho city, said: “The purchasing power of many types of fish fry at my fish breeding facility has increased by about 20-30% compared to previous months and is expected to increase further when the floodwaters come here, which is favorable for people to develop aquaculture models in rice fields and cages and rafts on rivers. Currently, most people are focusing on buying fish fry to raise in ponds, tunnels, ditches in fruit gardens or artificial ponds and tanks.”

According to Mr. Nguyen, in recent years, many types of fish fry produced in Can Tho City have not only met the needs of local people but have also been supplied to farmers in many provinces in the Mekong Delta and exported to the Cambodian market, so the demand for consumption is quite large. Therefore, the purchasing power of many types of fish fry is likely to increase sharply in the coming time and prices may also increase, especially some types of fish fry that many people focus on buying.

According to Ms. Ngo Thi Xuan Lan, owner of Thien fish breeding facility in Hoa Thanh A area, O Mon ward, Can Tho city, in the past, the model of raising fish and aquatic products in rice fields developed quite strongly due to big floods, abundant food sources available in the fields, fish grew quickly, farmers did not have to spend money to buy fish food, so it was highly economically efficient. However, in recent years, the Mekong Delta has had fewer big floods, rice has also sold at a better price than before, so people have increased rice production 3 times a year and reduced aquaculture during the flood season...

In the coming time, the purchasing power of many types of fish fry is expected to increase with the flood water as people promote the development of fish farming models during the flood season. In addition, many people also have the need to buy fish fry to serve as food for livestock to help bring higher economic value or to make dishes made from young fish or buy to release fish into the natural environment to regenerate aquatic resources.

Article and photos: KHANH TRUNG

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/ca-giong-bat-dau-tang-gia-a188402.html