The Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu plans to expand super – intensive shrimp farming as it is sustainable and offers high production value. This is according to a report in VNA High-tech shrimp farming brings high profits in Bac Lieu province | Business | Vietnam+ (VietnamPlus)
The province, which is one of the country’s leading areas for shrimp farming with advanced techniques, had more than 25,800ha of super-intensive and intensive shrimp farming areas in 2020.
Super- intensive shrimp farming offers a high yield of 40- 50 tonnes/ha/crop and a profit of 1 billion VND/ha (USD 43,200/ha) with three crops a year. It has a success rate of 80-90%. It uses shrimp culture ponds with oxygenation, anti-sunlight nets and plastic sheets on the pond bottom.
Bac Lieu has established a 418ha hi-tech agriculture zone for shrimp development in Hiep Thanh commune. About 90% of the construction of the hi-tech agriculture zone has been completed, and more than 30 companies have registered to invest in the zone. In the zone, four companies and 76 farms culture white-legged shrimp under the super-intensive farming model on more than 160 ha. The zone will also produce shrimp post larvae and shrimp feed to meet demand. Shrimp hatcheries now produce 32–35 billion post larvae of whiteleg shrimp Penaeus vannamei and black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon a year.
In 2020, aquaculture production faced challenges because of drought, saltwater intrusion and the COVID-19 pandemic, but its output and yield rose after the province took preventive measures and set up proper farming schedules. The province’s aquaculture output and seafood catch reached 400,000 tonnes last year, including 200,000 tonnes of shrimp.
Luu Hoang Ly, Director of the local Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: “To achieve better results in aquaculture production this year, the province has invested more in infrastructure for shrimp farming, properly regulating water resources and strictly managing input materials and shrimp post larvae.”
Because saltwater intrusion in the ongoing dry season could occur in canals and ponds, shrimp farmers using super-intensive and intensive farming models should store fresh water in ponds and mix the fresh water with saline water in canals used for farming shrimp, he added.
To mitigate disease and improve production efficiency, farmers should schedule a break between two shrimp crops, advised Ly. Besides super – intensive and intensive shrimp farming models, the province has developed other environmentally friendly models like rice – shrimp and shrimp – forest farming to produce clean shrimp for export and local consumption. With a coastline of more than 56km, Bac Lieu has a high potential for shrimp farming especially brackish water shrimp. The province has more than 136,000ha of shrimp farming area.
