Vietnam Aquaculture Feed Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends And Forecast (2025 - 2030)

Vietnam Aquaculture Feed Market Trends and Insights

Robust expansion of domestic RAS facilities

Vietnam's recirculating aquaculture systems adoption accelerated dramatically in 2024, with super-intensive shrimp farming achieving stocking densities of 800-1,200 post-larvae per square meter compared to traditional extensive systems at 10-15 per square meter. RAS facilities require specialized feed formulations with higher protein content and enhanced digestibility, creating premium pricing opportunities for feed manufacturers. The technology shift enables year-round production cycles and reduces disease risks, driving consistent feed demand growth. Tepbac's IoT solutions now monitor over 1,500 shrimp farms, enabling precision feeding that optimizes feed conversion ratios and reduces waste.

Rising consumer demand for antibiotic-free seafood

The European Union's continued yellow card warning regarding Vietnam's fisheries governance creates additional pressure for clean production methods, while US importers prioritize suppliers with verified antibiotic-free certifications^{[2]Source: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, “Vietnam and Indonesia promote cooperation on aquaculture and legal fishing,” monre.gov.vn}. Feed makers respond with probiotic and prebiotic additives that replace prophylactic drugs; Cargill’s new premix plant supplies customized functional blends, and GreenFeed invests in fermentation for native probiotic strains. Premium antibiotic-free feeds are priced 15-20% above standard diets, elevating manufacturer margins and rewarding farms that adopt certification schemes such as VietGAP.

Mainstream growth of functional feeds

Functional diets that reduce mortality and boost feed conversion ratios are no longer niche. Entobel’s insect protein partnership with Vinh Hoan enables pangasius growers to adopt immune-enhancing formulas, while microalgae additives gain popularity in mollusk hatcheries. The Vietnamese government's ecological agriculture initiative explicitly promotes functional feeds as part of sustainable intensification strategies, with preferential credit programs supporting farmers' adoption of advanced nutrition technologies.

Increasing integration of AI for precision feeding

Artificial intelligence adoption in Vietnamese aquaculture accelerated through 2024, with automated feeding systems becoming standard equipment for intensive operations. Tepbac's IoT platform monitors water quality parameters, feeding behavior, and growth rates across more than 1,500 shrimp farms, enabling real-time feed optimization that reduces waste by 10-15% while improving growth performance. Smart feeding reduces labor costs by 30-40% compared to manual feeding schedules, creating strong adoption incentives for commercial operations. The technology enables multiple daily feeding events optimized for species-specific behavior patterns, improving feed utilization efficiency and reducing environmental impact from uneaten feed.

Volatile fishmeal prices

Global fishmeal price volatility significantly impacts Vietnamese feed manufacturers' cost structures and profitability, with prices fluctuating annually based on anchovy catches and competing demand from livestock feed applications. Vietnam's dependence on imported fishmeal creates exposure to international supply disruptions, particularly from Peru and Chile, where El Niño weather patterns affect catch volumes. The volatility particularly affects premium feed segments targeting carnivorous species like grouper and snapper, where fishmeal inclusion rates remain high due to nutritional requirements.

Stringent EPA discharge regulations

Vietnam's environmental regulations governing aquaculture discharge intensified through 2024, with provincial authorities implementing stricter monitoring and penalty frameworks under updated fisheries legislation. Decree 38/2024 establishes comprehensive administrative penalties for aquafeed-related violations, including fines for unauthorized ingredients and mandatory product recalls for non-compliant formulations^{[3]Source: LuatVietnam, “Nghị định 38/2024/NĐ-CP quy định xử phạt vi phạm hành chính lĩnh vực thủy sản,” luatvietnam.vn}. Provincial authorities in major aquaculture regions like Can Tho and Soc Trang implement enhanced monitoring systems that track feed usage and waste output from individual farms.

Segment Analysis

By Feed Type: Pelleted dominance drives market stability

Pelleted feed maintains commanding market leadership with 46.80% of the Vietnam aquaculture feed market share in 2024, reflecting Vietnamese farmers' preference for cost-effective, standardized nutrition solutions that offer reliable performance across diverse aquaculture systems. The segment's dominance stems from pelleted feed's superior storage characteristics, reduced waste during feeding, and compatibility with existing farm infrastructure, particularly in traditional pond systems that represent the majority of Vietnam's aquaculture operations. Moist feed applications remain specialized, primarily serving hatchery operations and high-value species production, while micro feed demand grows alongside marine aquaculture expansion targeting juvenile fish and shellfish.

Extruded products are growing 8.2% annually, led by RAS shrimp complexes that pay premiums for water-stable, high-energy formulas. Growing environmental scrutiny favors extruded formats because they cut leaching losses. Skretting’s Lotus II upgrade targets this demand with specialized shrimp diets that achieve feed conversion ratios below 1.3:1 in intensive tanks. As automation spreads, formulation tweaks such as oil-coating profiles and crumble strength create new service niches for nutritionists.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Ingredient Source: Plant protein leadership amid alternative innovation

Plant protein ingredients dominate the Vietnam aquaculture feed market size with 41.20% share in 2024, reflecting the country's strategic shift toward sustainable, cost-effective nutrition sources that reduce dependence on volatile fishmeal markets. Soybean meal remains the primary plant protein source. Algal and alternative proteins represent the fastest-growing segment at 9.10% CAGR through 2030, driven by breakthrough innovations, including insect protein facility and eniferBio's mycoprotein investments that target premium aquafeed applications.

Fish oil remains essential for highly unsaturated fatty acids in marine finfish diets, yet enzyme supplementation permits incremental replacement. Animal by-products such as poultry meal fill cost-focused pangasius formulas but face traceability demands from export buyers. Government incentives accelerate the domestic supply of novel proteins, helping mills hedge against global commodity volatility.

By Species: Pangasius strength meets shrimp innovation

Pangasius commands the largest species segment with 34.70% market share in 2024, benefiting from Vietnam's global leadership in catfish production and the species' efficient feed conversion characteristics that appeal to cost-conscious farmers. The segment's strength reflects pangasius farming's concentration in the Mekong Delta, where established supply chains and processing infrastructure support large-scale operations that consume standardized feed formulations. White-leg shrimp emerges as the fastest-growing segment at 8.80% CAGR through 2030, driven by intensive farming adoption, premium export pricing, and technological innovations, including RAS systems and precision feeding that require specialized high-performance feeds.

Giant tiger prawn maintains market presence in traditional extensive systems, while carp and catfish serve domestic consumption markets with lower-cost feed requirements. Tilapia production expands gradually, targeting both domestic and export opportunities, while other species, including marine fish, gain traction as Vietnam diversifies its aquaculture portfolio. 

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

Geography Analysis

Mekong Delta provinces such as Can Tho, Soc Trang, and Ca Mau generate more than half of the Vietnamese aquaculture volume, anchoring regional feed consumption and production. De Heus, Skretting, and CP Foods cluster mills near these hubs to minimize freight expenses and offer just-in-time deliveries. Southeast coastal provinces add marine-cage culture that requires oil-rich extruded pellets, lifting demand growth.

The geographic distribution creates distinct feed demand patterns, with the Mekong Delta requiring large volumes of cost-effective pelleted feeds for pangasius and extensive shrimp systems, while coastal regions demand premium extruded feeds for intensive marine operations. Central provinces, including Nghe An and Dong Nai, implement updated aquaculture regulations that affect feed usage and traceability requirements, with provincial authorities establishing specific procedures for disease declaration and environmental compliance that influence feed distribution and emergency response protocols.

Regional concentration provides economies of scale but heightens exposure to flooding events and disease outbreaks; contingency stockpiles and diversified transport corridors become strategic imperatives for manufacturers. The geographic concentration creates competitive advantages for integrated operations that combine feed production, farming, and processing within regional clusters, while also creating supply chain vulnerabilities during extreme weather events or disease outbreaks that affect multiple provinces simultaneously.