(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The move is expected to create new momentum for the mud crab industry to develop in a more professional manner while gradually enhancing the value of this local specialty product in international markets.
Along with the issuance of export codes, the Phong Thanh Cong Small and Medium Enterprise Association (China) signed a cooperation agreement with the Vietnam Fisheries Society to build an official export value chain for Ca Mau mud crab.
According to industry authorities, this partnership plays an important role in strengthening links between farming areas, processing enterprises, and distribution channels, thereby reducing fragmentation within the mud crab value chain. It is also expected to help establish stable consumer markets and support the sustainable development of one of the province’s key aquaculture products.
Information about the expansion of official export channels has attracted considerable attention and raised expectations among local crab farmers. Mr. Nguyen Van Quan, a mud crab farmer in Ham Rong Commune, said his family is currently operating an integrated crab–rice farming model on more than three hectares, generating annual income of over VND 100 million.
According to Mr. Quan, mud crab has mainly been sold through local traders or exported to China through informal channels, resulting in unstable prices. Official export opportunities are expected to broaden market access, stabilize prices, and improve farmers’ incomes.
Ca Mau is currently the largest mud crab farming area in Vietnam. According to the provincial agricultural sector, the province’s mud crab farming area reached more than 365,400 hectares in 2026, with production totaling 21,339 metric tons, up 10% compared to 2025.
In addition, the province maintains 120 key mud crab farming zones covering a total area of approximately 50,000 hectares. Many advanced farming models are being expanded, including mud crab farming integrated with extensive-improved black tiger shrimp culture and VietGAP-certified crab farming systems.