A farm in Chongqing specializing in rare fish species has exported nearly 300,000 jin (150,000 kilograms) of live sturgeon to Vietnam over the past two months. The Hongmi Rare Fish Farm, located in Shazi Town, Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County, has gained media attention and secured new international clients and orders through this export initiative. Farm operator He Hongxia stated that they are currently upgrading their sturgeon breeding facilities to increase production capacity and expand exports of cold-water fish, including salmon.
He Hongxia, a 59-year-old local of Shizhu who entered the cold-water fish farming industry in 2011, previously sold sturgeon mainly within Sichuan and Chongqing. In recent years, however, distributors have increasingly approached him with requests for export opportunities. According to Vietnamese distributor Pham Mai Linh, sturgeon is highly popular in restaurants and hotels across Vietnam and Laos, where it is prepared in various ways.
Responding to market demand, the Hongmi farm obtained export certification and successfully shipped its first batch of live sturgeon on February 4 this year. This shipment also marked the first export of live aquatic animals from southeastern Chongqing. The fish are transported in specially equipped trucks with oxygen supply and ice packs, traveling directly from Shizhu to Vietnam with only driver changes en route. The entire process takes around 20 hours before the fish reach Vietnamese markets and dining tables.
Pham Mai Linh noted that demand for sturgeon in Vietnam significantly outstrips supply due to the fish's strict water temperature and quality requirements, limited local farming, and long growth cycle—prompting Vietnamese importers to seek suppliers in China. He Hongxia explained that export-grade sturgeon must weigh at least 5 jin (2.5 kilograms) each, with the largest specimens shipped to Vietnam reaching 20 jin (10 kilograms) after more than three years of cultivation. Prices in overseas markets such as Vietnam are approximately 10% higher than domestic prices.
Chen Jinmei, an official from the Shazi Town government, highlighted that while the area has a long history of fish farming, it traditionally focused on China's "four major domestic fish" species. The recent success of specialty cold-water fish like sturgeon and salmon has demonstrated the industry's growth potential, prompting plans to further develop distinctive aquaculture. Besides Vietnam, other ASEAN countries including Laos are also target markets for cold-water fish exports. He Hongxia added that many distributors have already expressed interest, and the farm aims to leverage this momentum to connect the region's "cold" natural resources with more "hot" international markets.
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