There are local depressed areas as factors, favorable nature to develop aquaculture which stands in the first profession in agricultural production. Many communes and towns in the district have exploited this advantage in economic development. The aquaculture method of the district has gradually shifted from extensive to intensive, semi-intensive farming, forming some concentrated farming areas, mainly traditional fish and new farming species with high economic value such as turtles, tilapia and others fish.
According to the agricultural production area planning, there are 128 concentrated aquaculture areas with a total area of 1,319ha. In the process of building new rural areas and carrying out the task of restructuring the agriculture sector towards improving added value and sustainable development in the period of 2015-2020, the District People's Committee directed the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to coordinate and support the communes to plan to expand the area of concentrated aquaculture: to improve the irrigation system, rural transport; focus on training; encourage farming households to invest in the rehabilitation of lagoon ponds; support technical training to develop inland aquaculture. Being facilitated with procedures, premises and supporting access to preferential credit sources, many households have invested hundreds of millions VND to renovate technical infrastructure, purchase supporting equipment such as fans, raft cages for rearing and experimenting, and expanding the area of raising new breeds of economic value. As a result, the economic efficiency from aquaculture has been constantly increased; people living standard has gradually improved. By 2018, the total area of aquaculture in the district is 1,174 ha; the total output is 5,381 tons. The whole district has 6 concentrated aquaculture areas with an area of 10 ha or more in the communes of Yen Trung, Yen Tho, Yen Khanh, Yen Hung, Yen Phong, Yen Hong, Yen Chinh and Yen Nhan.
In addition to inland aquaculture area concentrated in the coastal dyke area of Yen Hung, Yen Thanh and Yen Chinh communes, fish-rice combined farming method has also developed strongly and is sustainability of lowland farmers in recent years. The method of rice-fish production currently has a total area of 650ha at spring crop, nearly 730ha of another crop, concentrating in Yen Tan, Yen Quang, Yen Tri, Yen Phuong, Yen Nghia, Yen Khang, Yen Tho, Yen Khanh communes, etc. The main objects of farming are carp, dory, tilapia and white pomfret. Economic efficiency from combining rice-fish farming with rice production in the same area increased by 2-3 times. In terms of aquatic breed structure, in recent years, in addition to the traditional fish species, there have been some new varieties being raised such as: square head tilapia in Yen Trung commune; turtles and frogs in the communes: Yen Bang and Yen Duong initially gave good economic efficiency.
Besides of farming in lagoon ponds, some households in Yen Phuc commune exploited the "near-house" advantage to develop fish cage farming in Dao river. Aquaculture cooperative group in Yen Phuc commune has 6 households involved with nearly 1,000m3 cages for raising popular fish varieties and some kinds of fish with higher economic values such as crunchy carp, black carp, and red fish for positive results. Commercial fish of large scale farmers are traded in major markets such as Hanoi, Ninh Binh City, Nam Dinh City. This is an effective production model which is being researched and replicated by the District Agriculture and Rural Development Division. In addition to the Aquaculture Cooperative Group in Yen Phuc commune, Y Yen district has established a specialized fisheries cooperative. That is Tay Chua Aquaculture Cooperative, Yen Trung commune. The cooperative currently has 22 households participating in the aquaculture area in the conversion area of nearly 9 hectares, specializing in traditional fish such as carp, sesame and drift. Since 2017, some households in Tay Chua Cooperative have experimented with intercropping traditional fish with tilapia head and hybrid carp, etc.
According to the statistics of Yen Trung People's Committee, the aquatic production reaches 32 tons/year or more; Profit of each pond is about 5.6 million VND (151 million VND/ha/year), 7-8 times higher than growing rice. Some households with large farming areas and well-invested ones have income of over VND 200 million/ha/year such as Pham Van Dich, Pham Van Quy, Le Van Duy, Hoang Van Trung and Pham Van Su, etc. Mr. Pham Van Quy said that he invested hundreds of millions of VND into 2 ponds with an area of more than 1ha; a pond used for nursing fry, another pond for commercial fish. He also planted 60 jackfruit trees, 60 pomelo trees and other seasonal vegetables around the pond. The remaining area he used to grow elephant grass as food for fish, combined with chicken raising and 2 batches of copper ducks (each batch is from 500-700 ducks, raised during 2 months for sale). Fish are bred in waves, pruned to compensate, they can breed fingerlings, actively produce so every year he harvests from 2-2.3 tons of fish and over 20 million VND from chickens, ducks, and total income can reach from 180-200 million per year.
In order to continue to develop fisheries economy, improve people's income, Y Yen district will continue to review, adjust and supplement the planning of agricultural production areas to arrange aquaculture areas in the next time. Agricultural production areas is arranged in accordance with regulations on area of 10 ha or more, investment in construction of transport and electricity infrastructure, ensuring synchronous environmental sanitation; attaching importance to in-depth study of the actual characteristics of each commune to continue directing the expansion of inland aquaculture areas reasonably.
Y Yen district creates conditions for people to invest in renovating and upgrading technical infrastructure to develop farming method of combining rice - fish, model of cage fish farming in the river, developing breeding of popular markets; building a pilot model of raising new high-value objects such as crispy carp, cartilaginous fish, expanding the area of raising high-economic fishes such as lemur, red tilapia, etc. It requires strengthening training to improve the production level of aquaculture households, gradually increasing the area of aquaculture, upgrading from improved extensive to semi-intensive and intensive; striving to increase the area of intensive aquaculture to 15% by 2020 to achieve high productivity.
Lê Mai