Toan Dao

Contributing Editor reporting from Hanoi, Vietnam

Toan Dao has written about Vietnam’s business community, with a focus on energy and agriculture, for a number of Vietnamese and international outlets for more than 10 years. As a contributing editor for SeafoodSource in Southeast Asia, he also covers other major seafood producers in the region including Indonesia and Thailand.


Author Archive

Published on
February 23, 2023

Indonesia has set a target of producing 2 million metric tons (MT) of shrimp by 2024, but some sector experts are skeptical about the feasibility of that goal.

Indonesia was the third largest-aquaculture producer in the world by volume in 2020, after China and India, with much of that production being shrimp. With 18,000 islands and islets, the Indonesian archipelago possesses the third-most coastlines of all countries.

Indonesia has become a

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Published on
February 22, 2023

Losses from its Red Lobster affiliate hampered the net profit of Bangkok, Thailand-based Thai Union in Q4 2022, despite the company achieving sales growth, according to its latest results report.

The company reported a net profit of THB 1.238 billion (USD 35.9 million, EUR 33.7 million) for the period spanning October to December 2022, falling 35.9 percent year-on-year. Its net profit for the full year also dropped 10.9 percent

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Published on
February 15, 2023

The world’s biggest aquafeed producers are tightening their control over the global shrimp-feed industry.

Acquisitions over the past decade have consolidated the shrimp-feed sector, with Skretting, Cargill, CP Foods, Thai Union, Grobest, Guangdong Haid, BioMar, ADM, New Hope Liuhe, and De Heus emerging as the biggest global players.

They have extended their advantage by establishing a strong emphasis on innovation and technology,

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Published on
January 25, 2023

Vietnam, the world’s largest producer and exporter of pangasius, has begun concentrating its sales pitch for its top fish export on a new market – its own.

With more than USD 2.4 billion (EUR 2.2) in export sales in 2022, pangasius was Vietnam’s number-two seafood export by value behind shrimp at USD 4.3 billion (EUR 4.1 billion). Most of the country’s pangasius is farmed in the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. Despite

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Published on
January 11, 2023

Vietnam has set lower seafood production and export goals for 2023, acknowledging the toll inflation has taken in denting global demand.

However, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation's announcement of the end of testing chilled and frozen foods for Covid-19 at ports of entry beginning 8 January, as reported by Reuters, has given Vietnamese exporters renewed hope for better-than-expected trading environment in the year to

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Published on
January 6, 2023

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) forecasts Thailand will be a favorite destination for pangasius exporters from Vietnam in 2023 due to expected growth in food consumption there.

In 2022, most countries in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam and Thailand, were forced to deal with negative impacts from China’s strict Covid-related regulations, fallout from the Russia-Ukraine conflict,

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Published on
January 5, 2023

Vietnam managed to boost its shrimp sales to China in November 2022, even as it faced decreases in its exports to other most of its other major markets, according to Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

VASEP did not provide an explanation for the increase, though it said Chinese authorities have reportedly moved to ease pandemic-related restrictions since early December, with imported cargoes no longer being

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Published on
January 5, 2023

Indonesia has named an ambitious goal for its marine exports in 2023, targting a 20 percent increase in value. 

Tuna, cuttlefish, blue swimming crab, and octopus are the country’s key wild-caught species, while shrimp, crab, and seaweed are its major aquaculture products.

Indonesia aims to establish 136 aquaculture villages by the end of the year after finishing building six in 2021. Trenggono said a number of the villages

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Published on
January 4, 2023

Manila, Philippines-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved separate funds worth total USD 166 million (EUR 155.8 million) to help drive sustainable development of the seafood sector in Indonesia and Cambodia.

ADB announced on 15 December it will provide a USD 93 million (EUR 87.3 million) loan to support smallholder shrimp farming in seven provinces in Indonesia. The funding is for the Infrastructure Improvement for Shrimp

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Published on
January 3, 2023

Thailand is expected to produce 300,000 metric tons (MT) of shrimp in 2023, up 7.1 percent from the estimated 280,000 MT in 2022, according to Thai Shrimp Associaiton President Ekapoj Yodpinit said.

Prolonged bouts with shrimp diseases and unfavorable weather conditions hurt the industry in 2022, but will not set the industry back significantly in 2023, Yodpinit said.

Thailand is set to produce ... 

Photo courtesy of Warakorn

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