Awakening the province's brackish water fishery potential

​The high-tech application model of shrimp farming in floating ponds in Ba Truong Hamlet, Phuoc An Commune, Nhon Trach Province attracts people to invest because of its high profit. Photo by B.Nguyen

Being the locality with the largest brackish water aquaculture area in the province, according to the land use plan of Nhon Trach District until 2030, the brackish water shrimp farming area has potential for development and the district has also been calling and creating conditions for investors to develop hi-tech shrimp farming areas, gradually forming linkages with concentrated production areas in the district.

High-tech application of intensive shrimp farming

Currently, shrimp farming in floating ponds is a model that is interested in investing by brackish shrimp farmers in Nhon Trach District. This is a form of sustainable farming in terms of economy as well as the environment with many outstanding advantages compared to the traditional farming method. Shrimp farming in floating ponds has many benefits such as: good control of feed, reduced food waste, proactive control of the water environment, no use of antibiotics, reduced waste discharge into the environment, etc. low loss rate, the model helps control and minimize the risk of pathogens from water supply.

Mr. Bach Cong Tai, a shrimp farmer in floating ponds in Ba Truong Hamlet, Phuoc An Commune, Nhon Trach District, said he has invested in 3 shrimp farming areas in floating ponds with a total area of ​​​​about 3 hectares. Shrimp farmers following this model almost do not worry about failure because the water source is treated very carefully, through 5-7 stages in the settling pond system, thus limiting the risk of disease on shrimp.

Mr. Pham Thanh Tuan, Chairman of Phuoc An Commune Farmers' Association, said the total area of ​​brackish water aquaculture in the commune reached about 1,100 hectares. In which, the area of ​​intensive shrimp farming applying high technology is about 200ha. “In the past two years, the shrimp farming model in floating ponds has been invested a lot by farmers. Especially in Ba Truong Hamlet, Phuoc An Commune is strongly converting to this farming model. Every month, dozens of hectares are newly invested, so in a short time, the area of ​​intensive shrimp farming with high-tech floating ponds in Phuoc An Commune has reached more than 60 hectares," said Mr. Tuan. 

 

Many farmers are investing to expand the area of hi-tech shrimp farming in floating ponds in Ba Truong Hamlet, Phuoc An Commune, Nhon Trach District. Photo by B.Nguyen

Demand for businesses to invest in a link chain

According to farmer Bach Cong Tai, since the beginning of the year, shrimp prices have been quite stable at the level that farmers have made good profits. This year, shrimp farmers achieved better profits than last year. The biggest concern of shrimp farmers today is that there are no businesses to pay for farmers, shrimp purchasing is completely manipulated by traders, so the output is still precarious. People expect to be supported to connect to the output for peace of mind to invest.

To support farmers to apply high technology for intensive shrimp farming, Nhon Trach District is interested in investing in infrastructure such as roads, electricity lines, irrigation systems for aquaculture areas; to establish cooperative groups and shrimp farming cooperatives; development of VietGAP shrimp farming areas. The locality is very interested in attracting businesses to invest in sustainable aquaculture projects in the area.

Mr. Cao Tien Sy - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that Dong Nai is an inland province with a diversified system of rivers and lakes, so besides the strength of freshwater aquaculture, Dong Nai has natural favorable conditions for the development of brackish water aquaculture in Long Thanh and Nhon Trach Districts, especially brackish water shrimp farming with high technology application in Nhon Trach has brought economic efficiency, increased production value on the farmland area. With the strength to develop brackish water aquaculture, especially intensive shrimp farming with high technology application, the district needs to pay attention and apply the policy of focusing on investing in infrastructure for shrimp farming areas such as roads, electricity, irrigation system to serve production requirements, to attract and encourage businesses, organizations and individuals with conditions to invest in hi-tech shrimp farming in order to fully exploit its value, potential and advantages on local agricultural production.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Nhan, Head of Economic Division of Nhon Trach District, the total area of ​​shrimp farming in the district is nearly 1,700 hectares, mainly concentrated in 2 communes of Phuoc An and Vinh Thanh. In which, there are hundreds of hectares of intensive shrimp farming and intensive shrimp farming applying high technology. The locality is continuing to actively support farmers to switch to a model of high-tech application in intensive shrimp farming; attracting investors in high-tech shrimp farming. Because of high-tech shrimp farming, farmers have good control over variety, variety loss rate, disease prevention, just enough feed according to shrimp's needs and especially good handling of shrimp manure at the bottom of the pond to protect the environment in aquaculture. In particular, the application of high-tech shrimp farming is giving much higher profits than the traditional shrimp farming model.

Phan Anh