HCMC – Shrimp producers have urged the Government to relax agricultural land ownership limits and allow land-use rights to be used as collateral, saying the changes are necessary to expand large-scale production and improve access to bank financing.
The proposals were raised during a working session between industry representatives and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in Tran De Commune, Can Tho City on May 9.
Speaking at the meeting, Vo Van Phuc, general director of Vietnam Clean Seafood Corporation, said the company’s 280-hectare shrimp farming model generates export revenue of up to VND3 billion per hectare annually, around 50 times higher than traditional farming.
However, current regulations cap agricultural land holdings at 30 hectares per individual, forcing the company to rely on dozens of individuals to hold ownership of more than 100 land-use right certificates, or “red books,” on its behalf. Because the firm cannot directly own the land, it is unable to use land-use rights as collateral for loans, while preferential credit for agriculture remains difficult to access due to banks’ concerns over risks.
Minister Trinh Viet Hung acknowledged that the concerns over land and credit policies were legitimate. He said the revised Land Law, expected to be submitted to the National Assembly for approval in October, would allow unrestricted land accumulation, enabling enterprises to formalize land ownership and resolve collateral-related bottlenecks.
The minister also instructed local authorities to study upgrades to transport infrastructure to reduce logistics costs and asked relevant agencies to review wastewater standards to better reflect the conditions of brackish-water farming areas.
