Catching giant freshwater prawns to raise in rice fields in Tra Vinh, people catch as many as they can and sell them all.

The forest-shrimp; rice-aquaculture model is a sustainable production model that not only brings high income in terms of product value, but also creates sustainability for the mangrove ecosystem of Tra Vinh province.

The agricultural sector of Tra Vinh province is mobilizing and encouraging farmers in the province to continue maintaining the area of ​​more than 11,350 hectares of forest - shrimp, rice - aquaculture production models in 2025.

This is a sustainable production model that not only brings high income in product value but also creates sustainability for the province's mangrove ecosystem.

Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tra Vinh province - Mr. Tran Truong Giang said that by 2024, Tra Vinh province will have thousands of farming households in coastal areas and brackish water areas in the province developing production of more than 5,750 hectares of forest - shrimp model and 5,600 hectares of rice - aquaculture.

This model produces clean products, increases value, and brings stable income to farmers at an average of about 100 - 120 million VND/ha/year.

This is also a suitable production model for farmers who do not have enough capital to invest in high-tech industrial shrimp farming.

Mr. Nguyen Van Lam, Long Vinh commune, Duyen Hai district (Tra Vinh province) said that his family has been implementing the forest-shrimp model for many years.

With an area of ​​4 hectares, he arranged to dig a pond and plant forest trees such as mangrove, mangrove, and acacia, in a ratio of 40% forest - 60% pond surface to create shade and shelter for shrimp and other aquatic species.

Every year, he raises about 50,000 giant tiger prawns and 6,000 sea crabs. The entire raising process only costs money to buy the shrimp, the cost of feed is negligible, so the annual income is over 200 million VND.

Similarly, Mr. Le Van Lam, in Dong Hai commune, Duyen Hai district ( Soc Trang province) also has 4 hectares implementing a forest-aquaculture model combining farming of tiger shrimp, whiteleg shrimp, sea crabs and some types of brackish and saltwater fish.

With this pond area, each year, Mr. Lam raises 45,000 shrimp fry and 10,000 crabs; the fish fry are collected from natural sources.

Thanks to shrimp, crab and fish products raised in an ecological environment, harvested by thinning and selecting large sizes, the selling price is always 15-20% higher than industrially raised seafood products.

On average, Mr. Lam's family earns a net profit of more than 200 million VND per year from raising shrimp, crabs, and ecological fish according to the model of forest protection combined with aquaculture...

Along with the forest-shrimp model, in recent years, farmers in brackish water areas in Tra Vinh province have also strongly developed the rice-aquaculture model for high and stable income.

Specifically, the organic rice growing model combined with giant freshwater prawn farming in the two island communes of Long Hoa and Hoa Minh in Chau Thanh district (Soc Trang province) gives a net profit of 150 - 200 million VND/ha/year.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Nhanh, Secretary of Long Hoa Party Committee, for the past 8 years, Long Hoa commune has had more than 200 farming households sign contracts with 3 enterprises, including Minh Trung Company, Thien Sinh Company and Chau Hung Company to purchase the entire area of ​​101 hectares of organic rice combined with green-legged shrimp farming.

The shrimp-rice model is considered a development model that brings high economic efficiency and sustainability in Soc Trang province. Photo: VNA.

The price of fresh organic ST.24 rice is guaranteed by businesses at 11,000 VND/kg, nearly twice as high as that of regular rice. With this price, farmers earn a profit of 35-45 million VND/ha, 20-25 million VND/ha higher than regular rice.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hue, Deputy Director of Tien Thanh Agricultural Cooperative, Long Hoa Commune, said that the model of organic rice cultivation combined with green-legged shrimp farming in Long Hoa Commune is a method of converting production structure that has brought high economic efficiency to farmers continuously for many years.

On average, on an area of ​​1 hectare of production along with income from organic rice, the yield of farmed giant freshwater prawns is about 550 kg/crop. Calculating the total profit of the organic rice - giant freshwater prawn production model, farmers earn a net profit of 150 - 200 million VND/ha/year.

According to Mr. Hue, the organic rice production model combined with giant freshwater prawn farming not only protects the environment, provides clean products to consumers, and ensures sustainability compared to semi-intensive and intensive farming of black tiger prawns and white-leg shrimp, which carries many risks due to 2-3 shrimp crops per year.

The Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tra Vinh province said that the locality has many production areas with sufficient conditions to develop a model of organic rice cultivation combined with aquaculture to increase economic efficiency.

The provincial agricultural sector has planned to develop a number of concentrated production areas for high-quality rice; of which the organic rice production area is organized to be 1,000 hectares and strives to be 2,500 hectares by 2030.

Localities in the province are planned to arrange organic rice production mainly in Chau Thanh, Tra Cu and Cau Ngang districts.

The provincial agricultural sector is working with localities and provincial departments and agencies to promote support activities for farmers and agricultural cooperatives in terms of cultivation, processing, preservation techniques... to meet the conditions and be certified with standards such as VietGAP, HACCP, ISO,... and other equivalent standards to build brands and trademarks to facilitate bringing products to many foreign markets, improve the value chain, and increase income for farmers.

Source: https://danviet.vn/bat-tom-cang-xanh-nuoi-trong-ruong-lua-o-tra-vinh-dan-bat-bao-nhieu-ban-hut-hang-den-do-20250106232521947.htm