In 2017, C.P. Vietnam and nearly 100 households in Tra Vinh province effectively implemented the model of super-intensive farming of white leg shrimp with a total area of 150 hectares. This model produced 50-55 tons/ha, profited about VND 2 billion/ha, three times higher than that of intensive shrimp culture in clay pond. According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tra Vinh province, Duyen Hai town is the area with the most intensive shrimp farming (58 households, up nearly 20 households) on an area of 21.79ha (increasing nearly 7ha). Thanks to the success of the model of super-intensive shrimp farming in the past few years, many farming households have boldly invested capital to convert to this new farming form.
Productivity of high-tech intensive shrimp culture model is 2 or 3 times higher than that of intensive shrimp culture in the clay pond and can produce 4 crops per year. This model of shrimp farming requires a large area of land to accommodate the pond system, water treatment pond and wastewater pond. On average, to build 1 hectare of super-intensive shrimp ponds, it takes about VND 3 billion from building facilities to buying shrimp seeds, food and medicine. During the culture process, shrimp feeding is completely done by automatic machines, hence limited food waste which caused polluting pond bottom. In high-tech intensive shrimp culture model, farmers can control water supplied to the shrimp pond through reservoir. In addition, shrimps cultured under this model also have higher price than conventional models. For intensive - high technology method, diseases are controlled better during the culture process.
With the objective of developing the shrimp industry into a spearhead and sustainable industry, adapting to climate change and protecting the ecological environment while improving the quality, efficiency of production and competitiveness of local shrimp products, Tra Vinh provincial People's Committee has issued a plan of action to develop shrimp industry in Tra Vinh province to 2025. Specifically, in the period of 2017 and 2020, the province sets target on shrimp production value will be over VND 8,700 billion (annual average growth rate of 16.95 per cent) and the period 2021 - 2025 will be over VND 10,610 billion (annual average growth rate of 5.1 per cent). Total area of brackish shrimp farming in the period 2017 - 2020 is 26,170 ha and the period of 2021 - 2025 is 27,050 ha with total output of 70,640 tons and about 87,000 tons, respectively. Of which, black tiger shrimp is nearly 18,650 tons; white leg shrimp is 51,990 tons. The average growth rate of brackish water shrimp production in the period 2017 - 2020 is 17.7 per cent per year and the period of 2021 - 2025 is 5.34 per cent per year.
In order to reach the target, Tra Vinh province aims to develop brackish water shrimp based on maximizing the advantages of natural conditions, adapting on climate change and salinity intrusion conditions and taking advantages of people to develop shrimp industry effectively. Besides, the province will reorganize production, implementation planning, investment in upgrading irrigation infrastructure and transportation in the concentrated shrimp production areas, tightening connections between farmers and processing - exporting enterprises. The province’s orientation is to develop shrimp industry in sustainable, closely associated with the strict management of the environment, achieving high productivity, quality and efficiency. In addition, the province encourages small-scale aquaculture farms to form cooperative groups to build concentrated production areas and improve production efficiency.
At present, the province has promoted the transfer of scientific and technological advances in shrimp farming; cooperate with research institutes, research centers, universities in and outside the country in order to step up the transfer of high-quality commercial shrimp production processes to meet export standards, to apply advanced technologies in preliminary processing and preservation of shrimp materials to raise the value added proportion and assure food safety, meeting the requirements of importing countries. Local authorities are developing high quality products such as organic shrimp products or products with safety certification, etc.
One of key orientations set by the plan is to develop the shrimp industry in association with the consumption market, raising the quality in all farming modes and stages in the production chain, expanding market and creating trade mark for shrimp products. Enterprises will play a leader and driver role of the whole value chain, so as to reorganize production in the direction of grouping small-scale households into cooperatives in order to create large-scale concentrated material production areas, creating connections with enterprises in supplying input materials and product consumption.
To attract enterprises to invest in this field, together with the implementation of governmental policies, the province also implemented a policy to support the application of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in the province for the period 2015-2020. In addition, the province focuses on training and developing high quality human resources for the shrimp industry, encouraging research institutes and training establishments to associate with enterprises and farmers to quickly bring new technical and technological advances into production.
Hương Trà