USDA to fund $15.6mn project to develop Vietnam's tilapia value chain

The Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance Department said it is drafting the Vietnam-U.S. aquaculture value chain development project, which is intended to raise cumulative tilapia production to 1.21 million metric tons and generate revenue of around $1.25 billion from 2026 to 2030.

The project will be financed by USDA funding and Vietnam's counterpart contribution.

It is slated for implementation in the Mekong Delta in the south and the northern Red River Delta, covering nine localities: An Giang, Dong Thap, Can Tho, Vinh Long, Ca Mau, Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh, and Thanh Hoa.

The initiative is expected to benefit 24,224 farmers and 1,123 other value chain participants in the nine localities, as well as 40 associations and cooperatives across the two deltas.

As a lean, protein-rich white fish with a mild flavor, tilapia has become a versatile staple in modern meal planning and commercial food service. 

Vietnam's tilapia production increased from 188,000 metric tons in 2015 to 420,000 metric tons in 2025, according to the department data. 

The industry is supported by 303 hatcheries, 178 nurseries, 77 animal feed factories, and around 510 processing facilities qualified to produce tilapia products for export.

The department said this existing network of facilities provides a favorable foundation for developing the tilapia industry on a modern and large scale.

In 2025, Vietnam earned nearly $99 million from tilapia exports, up 141 percent from a year earlier.

Of the total, exports to the U.S. accounted for more than $53 million, up 173 percent year on year, making the U.S. the largest market for Vietnamese tilapia.

The department said tilapia has the potential to become a Vietnamese export industry worth more than $1 billion, partly replacing fish that the U.S. currently imports from China.

According to the USDA, this potential could be realized if key bottlenecks in the industry are effectively addressed, particularly those related to seed quality and supply.