Recent floods devastate Vietnam’s Phan Thiet fish sauce cluster

The Phu Hai Industrial Cluster is home to numerous large-scale traditional fish sauce producers that have helped establish the Phan Thiet fish sauce region’s reputation in former Binh Thuan Province, before Binh Thuan was merged into Lam Dong in July.

Last week, the low-lying cluster, home to large-scale fish sauce producers, was hit by upstream floods from the Cai River and high tides from the sea.

Truong Quang Hien, chairman of the Phan Thiet Fish Sauce Association, said about 300 tonnes of salt and 28,000 liters of fish sauce were lost at his facility alone, with damages estimated at nearly VND1 billion (US$37,936).

“Never before has our area suffered such severe flooding,” Hien said.

Other members of the association reported similar losses.

At Thuan Hung company, more than 20,000 liters of fish sauce and production equipment were destroyed despite workers’ efforts to protect the site.

Association members called on government authorities to visit affected facilities and provide immediate support, including tax relief, low-interest loans, and other measures to help businesses resume operations.

They also urged the Phu Hai Industrial Cluster management to clear blocked drainage channels, as some areas remain flooded even after river waters receded.

Hien warned that salt shortages could affect production in the coming months.

Many producers had stocked salt last year at VND1,500 ($0.06) per kilogram, but prices have risen to more than VND2,000 ($0.07) and supplies remain uncertain due to damage caused by storms and floods in central Vietnam’s salt-producing regions in mid-November.

The Phan Thiet Fish Sauce Association has 40 members, accounting for roughly 70 percent of the region’s annual production.

The sector consumes 22,000–24,000 tonnes of anchovies each year to produce about 24 million liters of fish sauce.