Toadfish, a local delicacy with an unsightly name but delicious taste, is being successfully farmed by farmers in An Giang province and sold for 150,000 VND/kg.

Nhon Hoi is a border region still facing many difficulties, but with the advantage of its waterways, local farmers have boldly developed cage fish farming on the river, providing them with a stable livelihood.

Mr. Tran Van Thieu (residing in Bac Dai hamlet, who has been raising toadfish in cages on the river for over 10 years) said: "Toadfish are a type of fish with high economic value, easy to raise, and require less effort to care for compared to raising other fish."

However, the investment is quite high, and the rearing time is long, averaging 18-24 months before sale. With a cage area of ​​about 130m³, over 8,000 toadfish juveniles are raised each year. After one year of rearing, the fish reach a weight of 1.2-1.5kg/each, selling at 160,000 VND/kg, resulting in a profit of over 300 million VND after deducting expenses.”

According to Mr. Thieu, to raise toadfish effectively, breeders must understand the fish's characteristics, how to care for them, and the appropriate feed at each stage so that the fish can develop well.

The fish cages must be inspected thoroughly every day. If the fish show signs of weakness or eat less each day, they must be treated immediately. At the same time, the cages must be cleaned regularly to minimize the risk of disease.

In addition, the nutritional content of aquaculture feed plays a crucial role in increasing profits when selling the fish. Therefore, besides using readily available feed, he also supplements it with wild-caught trash fish.

Fish farms raising catfish and snakehead fish in the upstream area of ​​An Phu district, An Giang province. Among the specialty fish species successfully raised by farmers in An Phu is the model of raising toadfish - a delicious fish species found in the Mekong River.

According to Mr. Thieu, feeding fish with wild-caught trash fish results in faster growth, fewer diseases, and lower costs compared to industrial feed. On average, one toadfish weighing 1kg will require at least 6kg of feed fish during the rearing process.

Nhon Hoi is one of the localities that has effectively exploited its potential and advantages of water resources to implement various freshwater fish farming models.

In Nhon Hoi commune, An Phu district (An Giang province), there are 30 households raising toadfish, catfish, and snakehead fish, and 2 households raising fish in ponds with an area of ​​1.3 hectares.

The locality has also developed a cooperative for cage fish farming with 8 members. Besides raising toadfish, this cooperative has also developed models for raising other fish species such as silver carp, crucian carp, catfish, and red-tailed catfish.

Thanks to enhanced fish farming technology transfer, linkages with local farmers in product distribution to supply quality fish to customers, and ensuring a stable market, the company exports over 40 tons of various specialty fish annually, generating revenue of 3.9 billion VND, with a profit of 1.2 billion VND after deducting expenses.

In addition, the cage fish farming model in the upstream area also helps create jobs for 30 local workers, providing them with stable incomes of 4.5 - 5 million VND/month…

Evaluating the effectiveness of the cage fish farming model in the locality, Nguyen The Luong, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Nhon Hoi commune (An Phu district, An Giang province), said: "Currently, the model of raising toadfish in cages is being developed by many farmers. Due to relatively stable output and prices above 150,000 VND/kg, it brings a good income to farmers."

To develop cage fish farming on the river and maximize its potential advantages, in addition to promoting and encouraging the farming of high-economic-value fish species, the Farmers' Association of the commune has integrated support policies for farmers and cooperatives to expand the scale and develop the cage fish farming industry. This contributes to increasing people's income and helping them improve their lives.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of An Phu district (An Giang province), from the beginning of the year until now, the harvested aquatic product output in the district has reached 10,195 tons (10,004 tons from aquaculture and 191 tons from fishing), achieving 46.34% of the annual plan, an increase of 120 tons compared to the same period last year.

Along with strengthening inspections to protect aquatic resources, the district plans the development of aquaculture areas and encourages people to raise high-economic-value aquatic species while ensuring a safe farming environment and guiding them towards finding markets for their products.

Source: https://danviet.vn/ca-coc-loai-ca-dac-san-ten-xau-xi-an-ngon-nong-dan-an-giang-nuoi-thanh-cong-ban-150000-dong-kg-20240805105236812.htm