Renowned seafood trading company Siam Canadian Group's Vietnam regional sales director Le Thi Thuy Trang stated in an interview with UCN: "The raw material supply in the fourth quarter remains extremely scarce, and pond prices keep rising. The decline in basa fish production is directly related to the decrease in fry supply, and the adverse weather, especially the recent frequent rainfall, has put basa fry production in a very difficult situation."
At the end of September, the pond price for 1.2kg+ basa fish in Vietnam's Mekong River region (this specification mainly supplies the Chinese market) rose to VND 30,000/kg ($1.14/kg), and there is still a trend of further increases. The price for 800g-1.2kg specifications rose to VND 29,500/kg, and the smaller specifications (mainly producing fish slices for Europe) are also continuously rising.
If we look at historical data, the pond price in September 2025 will be higher than in the past five years.
Moreover, the procurement of raw materials by processing factories is very strong. With the recovery of consumption in the Chinese market, the demand for large-sized basa fish has increased, and the price increase is more significant compared to medium and small sizes.
Trang said: "Major processing factories are increasing their raw material procurement to not only meet the export orders for the fourth quarter but also to increase inventory and enhance production capacity in advance. This indicates that many companies are preparing in advance for further tightening of future supply. It is expected that before the end of the year, the ex-factory prices will remain high, and export demand from multiple countries worldwide will increase."
In the U.S. market, the wholesale price for frozen basa fish slices from Vietnam has remained stable recently, with standard frozen packaged products priced between $2.10-$2.40/lb (specific prices depend on water content).
Additionally, the price of fish fry in Vietnam has reached a new historical high. At the end of September, the price for 30 fish fry was VND 57,835/kg, much higher than in previous years; the price of fish fry in September increased by about 13% compared to August. Especially in weeks 36-39, the average price of fish fry increased by more than 120% compared to the same period last year.