(VAN) Despite mounting pressure from rising input costs, the company is maintaining its selling prices, willingly absorbing the price differences and even taking a loss, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Vietnamese shrimp farmers.
Standing by Vietnamese shrimp farmers through challenging times
Amid soaring global prices of raw materials used in shrimp feed production, driven by geopolitical instability and supply chain disruptions, most feed manufacturers have opted to raise selling prices to offset mounting costs.
Paradoxically, during the same period, farm-gate shrimp prices fell to their lowest levels in many years. This placed Vietnamese shrimp farmers in a double bind: production costs continued to rise while selling prices declined. As a result, many farmers suffered prolonged losses and faced the prospect of suspending operations or scaling back production.
GrowMax is currently the only Vietnamese-owned shrimp feed brand on the market, developing a comprehensive closed-loop ecosystem model. Photo: PN.
Faced with these circumstances, GrowMax, the only Vietnamese shrimp feed brand, made a difficult decision: to maintain its selling prices without any increase despite soaring input costs. This is not merely a business decision, but also a commitment to stand alongside shrimp farmers and share their burdens during one of the most challenging periods the shrimp industry has faced.
Making such a decision means the company must be willing to forgo profits, and even temporarily absorb losses, in order to sustain its operations. It is a reflection of the philosophy that GrowMax has embraced since its founding: “Standing by Vietnamese shrimp farmers through all circumstances.”
Shrimp farmers face unprecedented pressure
In the global market, the prices of many raw materials used in shrimp feed production have continued to rise due to geopolitical tensions and disruptions in global supply chains. In particular, fishmeal imported from countries such as Chile, Peru, and Oman – a strategic ingredient in premium shrimp feed – has reached record-high prices compared with the same periods in previous years.
At the same time, international freight costs, energy prices, and various other production inputs have also increased significantly, placing growing pressure on feed manufacturers. As a result, many shrimp feed producers have had little choice but to raise their selling prices to offset higher production costs.
Since the beginning of 2026, shrimp feed prices have increased three times, with the market now entering its third round of price adjustments.
Shrimp farmers are facing immense pressure from the sharp decline in farm-gate shrimp prices. Photo: Kim Anh.
In many key farming areas across the Mekong Delta, the price of whiteleg shrimp sized at 30 shrimp per kilogram ranged from USD 7.98 – 8.75 per kilogram at the beginning of 2026. Today, prices have fallen to around USD 4.56 per kilogram.
This sharp decline has pushed shrimp prices to their lowest levels in years, severely undermining production efficiency and profitability. Many farmers are now facing the prospect of prolonged losses and may be forced to leave ponds idle if market conditions do not improve soon. The situation has also made many producers reluctant to reinvest, prompting them to reduce stocking densities or temporarily suspend production while waiting for the market to recover.
Choosing short-term losses to keep feed prices unchanged
At a time when most feed manufacturers have announced price increases, GrowMax has chosen a different path. Rather than raising prices to offset escalating raw material costs, the company has decided to forgo profits and even absorb short-term losses in order to maintain stable shrimp feed prices across its entire distribution network.
This means that GrowMax is directly shouldering the additional costs associated with raw materials, production, and operations. In other words, the company is willing to absorb losses in order to share the burden with shrimp farmers.
“This is not an easy decision. Every day we maintain our price-stabilization policy is another day the company absorbs a significant cost differential instead of passing that burden on to customers. However, if rising costs continue to be added directly to feed prices, the people most affected will be shrimp farmers – the very individuals on the front line of every market fluctuation,” Mr. Mai Van Hoang, Chief Executive Officer of GrowMax Group, said.
At GrowMax’s high-tech shrimp farms across Viet Nam, hundreds of engineers and specialists are continuously researching new solutions with the ultimate goal of helping farmers produce more efficiently and sustainably. Photo: PN.
We understand that behind every shrimp pond are a family’s savings, assets, and years of hard work. When farmers are facing difficulties, GrowMax cannot look only at its own profit calculations. If we raise prices, the company would reduce some pressure, but farmers would have to bear additional burdens at a time when farm-gate shrimp prices are already extremely low. Therefore, GrowMax has decided to absorb losses in order to keep selling prices stable and stand alongside farmers until shrimp prices recover,” Mr. Hoang added.
Mr. Hoang emphasized that this is the time for businesses in the industry to share responsibility with farmers rather than focus solely on short-term profits. “GrowMax may accept losses today, but we do not want farmers to abandon their ponds tomorrow.”
A Vietnamese brand standing with Vietnamese shrimp farmers
As the only Vietnamese-owned shrimp feed brand currently on the market, GrowMax is developing a comprehensive closed-loop ecosystem that includes shrimp seed production, feed, biological products, high-tech shrimp farms, and shrimp processing for export. This gives the company a clear understanding of the challenges facing shrimp farmers.
Since its establishment in 2020, GrowMax has remained committed to building a Vietnamese brand dedicated to Viet Nam’s shrimp industry, placing farmers at the center and using real-world production results as the measure of success. Beyond supplying products, the company has invested heavily in scientific research, technology transfer, and the development of high-tech shrimp farming models to help farmers reduce risks, optimize costs, and improve production efficiency.
GrowMax has committed to keeping shrimp feed prices unchanged in order to support shrimp farmers nationwide during the current challenging period. Photo: GM.
At GrowMax’s high-tech shrimp farms across the country, hundreds of engineers and specialists are continuously developing new solutions aimed at helping farmers achieve greater efficiency and sustainability. The company believes that its success is meaningful only when shrimp farmers themselves succeed.
“Keeping prices stable today to preserve confidence in the shrimp industry tomorrow.” For GrowMax, this is not merely a business decision but a choice rooted in responsibility and partnership. The company understands that Viet Nam’s shrimp industry can only develop sustainably if farmers are able to remain in the profession.
This philosophy has long guided GrowMax’s leadership: “Shrimp farming is not only about sustaining livelihoods; it is also about nurturing aspirations – aspirations for a modern Vietnamese shrimp industry that masters technology, creates higher added value, and competes successfully in global markets.”
At a time when the industry faces numerous challenges, such acts of solidarity not only help farmers overcome immediate difficulties but also strengthen confidence in the future of Viet Nam’s shrimp sector.
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