A sharp rise in feed prices in Vietnam in recent weeks has hurt the poultry industry and driven fish farms to downsize their investment plans.
Aquafeed price surge triggers scalebacks
Vietnam’s fish feed market has never witnessed such a prolonged upward price rally, according to Le Van Tam, a farmer from An Nhon commune in the Mekong Delta, the country’s key aquacultural region. Since the beginning of 2023, the average price of fish feed in Vietnam has surged by VND 6,000–8,000 per kg ($0.32–$0.31), significantly driving up production costs in the industry.
As a result, many farmers breeding pangasius and other popular fish species remain very cautious about their investment plans. For example, Tam said that he used to breed pangasius in 5 ponds, but now operates only 3, as the economic feasibility of stocking the remaining ponds has become increasingly questionable.
Multiple factors drive price increases
Quite a few factors contribute to the continuous rise in feed prices in Vietnam, a spokesperson for the local feed distributor who wished to not be named told local publication Tepbac. These factors include a significant rise in the cost of imported raw materials, rising oil prices, increased bank interest rates and higher logistics and transportation costs.
Poultry industry suffers too
Poultry farmers also complain about the hike in feed costs. According to Asian-Agribiz, a local news outlet, virtually all key feed manufacturers, including De Heus, VinaFeed, USFeed, Cargill, Hoa Phat Dong Nai Feed, Phu Sy Nutrition, and Viet Phap Nutrition have recently raised the price of their products.
On average, poultry feed prices increased by $7.6 per tonne, though in some cases the price has risen by as much as $9.5 per tonne.
Poultry feed manufacturers also cite the rise of the raw material prices, higher energy and fuel costs and expensive logistics as the key factors contributing to the increase.
Local analysts forecast that the feed market situation can drive a new consolidation wave in Vietnam’s poultry industry.
Feed output climbs
In 2025, Vietnam manufactured 22.12 million tonnes of feed, 2.9% higher than in the previous year, the Vietnamese Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine has estimated. Growth is seen in all key segments. Pig feed production rose from 11.2 million tonnes in 2024 to 11.6 million tonnes in 2025.
Poultry feed production went up from 9.5 million tonnes to 9.8 million tonnes.
In the meantime, Vietnam maintains high dependence on imported raw material. In 2025, the country purchased 24.78 million tonnes of feedstuff, like corn, soybeans, and DDGS for $8.2 billion.
