Dong Nai owns largest “broodstock capital” in Southeast

Here, broodstocks are abundant in number, diversity of types, good quality and reasonable prices, often bought by farmers inside and outside the province.

A western trader is collecting broodstock in Bac Son commune, Trang Bom district.

Get rich by broodstocks

The fish farmers in Bac Son commune said that the freshwater fish farming here has been developed for a few decades ago by the Northern people. However, in the past, only a part of the low-lying field of the year was renovated to make small-scale pond, mainly serving the local demand. Later, upon realizing the decent and potential profits from the large external markets, many farmers converted rice land to meat fish, and then raised broodstocks on a large scale.

Mr. Nguyen Truong Can, owner of Truong Can hatchery farm (Song May hamlet), said that initially, his family worked with more than 1 hectare of rice, but the productivity was low, so he renovated it to make fishponds and constantly expanded its area to 25 hectares. In the 2000s, the movement from rice land to fish farming was very aggressive, my family set up the first fish hatchery in the area to provide breeds for the farmers. Initially, I produced some popular freshwater fishes such as: carp fish, mud carp, bream fish, small carp fish, etc. And later on diverse needs, I continued to breed 17 species to date, many of which are difficult to make such as: hybrid carp, unisexual tilapia, Java barb, Shutchi catfish, broadhead catfish” – said Mr Can.

In addition to producing and selling broodstocks, Truong Can hatchery also investing in fingerlings (eggs for breeding) for broodstocks breeding households in the area, receiving broodstocks underwrite for households raising chickens and pigs. Establishment turnover is more than 10 billion/year.

Mr. Nghiem Xuan Huyen, Chairman of Bac Son Commune's Farmers Association, said that in taking advantage of the abundant water from Song May lake, many households in Song May hamlet have changed from rice cultivation to breeding fish, forming large scale fish supply and distribution facilities. There have been many families becoming better off, owning a lot of land, fish ponds, breeding farms thanks to breeding fish.

“Bac Son commune has the advantage that Song May lake always has water all year round. Instead of making 2 low-yield rice crops a year, farmers turn to raising fish to bring about 3-4 times more economic value” - Mr. Huyen shared.

Bringing broodstocks to many regional farming areas

Song May area now has about 100 farming households, 10 farms distributing broodstocks. Each farmer has an area of 1-5 hectares, distribution farms all have an area of over 10 hectares. They combine raising fish with raising chickens and pigs, which have both an economic and feed for broodstocks.

The owner of the biggest fish breeding farm in Song May, Nguyen Truong Can said, the breeding fish in Song May not only provides farmers in the province but also trusted by many farmers in provinces and cities such as Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Binh Thuan, Quang Binh, Da Nang, Hanoi, Hung Yen, the Western region and the Central Highlands. “Each year I sell about 600 tons of fish in different kinds.  30% of that consumed within the province, the rest distributed outside the province. Broodstocks in Song May are of good quality, as evidenced by the fact that many large fish raising areas inside and outside the province all came here to order. Song May breeding area is constantly expanding in area and quantity” - Mr. Can shared.

Mr. Tran Van Chinh, the owner of another breeding fish farm in Song May hamlet, shared that the Song May broodstock has strong and uniform advantages. During the farming process, the fish are exposed to at least 3 different environments so it is easy to adapt to the changes and low loss rates. Fish are fed bran combined with cattle and poultry manure, so there is “force” from the beginning. Some fish farmers find the fingerlings from the West, Nha Be (Ho Chi Minh City) cheap and buy to raise but not as effective as buying them here. That is why the Song May breeding fish has a reputation in the Southeast. In recent years, many provinces in the Central and the North have come here to order.

To increase competitiveness and expand the market, most of Song May hatchery farms have specialized cars, delivery by car or plane to customers in need. In addition to selling directly to farmers, the hatchery here also provides broodstocks for a variety of agents, seed distribution centers in many provinces.

According to hatchery farmers in Song May hamlet, each farm employs 1-2 fishery engineers in charge of breeding techniques and fingerling care, so about the process of caring and raising fish, from the time of buying fingerlings to selling meat-fish, the farmers were well understood. Therefore, in addition to providing seeds, fish farmers in Song May also provide remote technical advice to farmers to reduce losses, reduce diseases, the secret of raising fish to grow quickly and achieve high productivity. This is a highlight that many other fish breeding areas have not achieved.

Bac Son commune has nearly 100 households raising fish with an area of over 300 hectares, of which about 80% of households breed fingerlings, supplying to markets inside and outside the province. Fingerlings here have remarkable advantages compared to fingerlings from other places in the variety, healthy fish, uniform size. On average, each year, the hatcheries provide the market more than 1 thousand tons of fish of all kinds. At the beginning of the rainy season, Song May fingerlings are not enough to sell, but the farms do not import fish from other places to sell to customers for profit - for fear of unsatisfactory quality, discredit the farm and affect the reputation of Song May broodstock.

By Phan Anh