Koi fish, noble fish, Japanese national fish, are raised densely in a commune of Nam Dinh, people's lives change, families become rich.

The Tan Khanh Production and Trade Cooperative in Phong Coc village, Minh Tan commune (Vu Ban district, Nam Dinh province) was established in 2021 with 16 members specializing in the production and trading of Koi fish, a species considered the 'national fish of Japan'.

With a farming area of ​​over 30 hectares, the cooperative supplies more than 100 tons of Koi fish to the market each year. Recently, Tan Khanh Production and Trade Cooperative was one of 63 cooperatives recognized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Association as a model cooperative nationwide in 2024.

In Tan Khanh, when you mention the "King of Koi Fish," no one in the locality is unfamiliar with Mr. Pham Duc Thuan, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of Tan Khanh Production and Trade Cooperative.

This aquatic species, marketed as a "noble" pet, is an ornamental fish originating from Japan, currently in high demand in the market.

Not only is Mr. Thuan one of the pioneers in introducing Koi carp to the list of valuable aquaculture species, but he is also the "driving force" behind the steady development of the local Koi fish farming industry, bringing significant economic benefits to farmers.

The cooperative not only produces commercial fish but also successfully breeds fish fry to supply the market; it also collaborates with over 100 dealers specializing in buying and selling ornamental fish nationwide to guarantee the purchase of products from its members.

He currently owns a scientifically planned 7.2-hectare Koi fish farm with a system of closely interconnected ponds and a breeding and rearing tank system equipped with oxygen pumps and shelters to protect from sun and rain.

To achieve the stable operation of his farm as it is today, Mr. Thuan had to overcome many failures, difficulties, and hardships.

In the early 2000s, Mr. Thuan was working as an underground construction worker for Hoa Binh Power Corporation, earning 12 million VND per month. However, he always harbored the dream of "getting rich in his homeland," so he gave up his job with a salary that many people envied at the time to return home and start his own business.

Pursuing his "daring" dream starting from scratch, Mr. Thuan began digging ponds and raising traditional fish species such as black carp, grass carp, common carp, and silver carp... However, reality was not as simple as he thought. Raising traditional fish species became increasingly competitive, fish prices dropped, and diseases increased production costs.

After investing so much capital and effort into his fish pond without making much profit, he decided to switch to a new type of fish to raise. Through television and the internet, he noticed that Koi carp – a type of ornamental fish known as the "national fish" of Japan – were very popular, so he started researching them.

Each year, Tan Khanh Production and Trade Cooperative in Minh Tan commune, Vu Ban district (Nam Dinh province) sells over 100 tons of Koi fish to the market, a "noble" species often referred to as the "national fish of Japan".

After researching all the information related to this fish species, he realized that the local area had great potential for developing this type of aquaculture, so he decided to try raising Koi fish on a trial basis.

Mr. Thuan shared: “Recognizing that Koi carp are easy to raise and bring high economic value, in 2010, I boldly invested over 100 million VND to buy 10 pairs of purebred Koi carp broodstock. I brought them home to raise them, learn from experience, and research methods for breeding and crossbreeding Koi carp.”

However, at that time, the market in the province wasn't "fond" of Koi carp. When I took them to sell, people just looked at them; nobody bought them. For over two years, I struggled to find a market myself by creating a website, promoting on Facebook, and traveling to various provinces to pitch my products to dealers.

To date, Mr. Thuan has established a nationwide network for selling Koi fish. In particular, after many years of working and researching, refining his techniques, he has successfully understood the habits and domesticated parent Koi carp; mastering the breeding and crossbreeding process to develop many high-quality Koi carp varieties that are well-received by the market.

He gradually expanded the area for raising Koi fish to 7.2 hectares, divided into many ponds with fish of different sizes, such as those measuring 20-50cm in length, 50-80cm, etc. On average, his family supplies over 30 tons of Koi carp to the market each year.

Witnessing Mr. Thuan's success, several households in the area also invested in the Koi fish farming model, and Mr. Thuan readily supported them, sharing his Koi fish farming techniques and experience.

In 2021, Mr. Thuan spearheaded the establishment of the Tan Khanh Production and Trade Cooperative with 16 members, building a closed value chain from production and supply of breeding stock to consumption of Koi carp products.

In this chain, Mr. Thuan directly produces and supplies fingerlings to members of the cooperative for breeding. With many years of experience in raising Koi carp, Mr. Thuan has independently bred and domesticated dozens of high-quality Koi carp varieties, vibrant in color, such as white, red, yellow, white-red-black, white-yellow-red, black-yellow, etc.

The cooperative members share experiences in fish care and provide guidance on disease prevention and control techniques. In addition to supporting and sharing techniques, experience, and breeding stock, Mr. Thuan also organizes partnerships with distributors to sell products in strong markets such as Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Hanoi... ensuring a stable market for the members' products.

To ensure disease safety for their Koi carp, members of the Tan Khanh Production and Trade Cooperative pay special attention to water quality; disease prevention for fish according to season, weather, and diet.

Koi fish can be raised in two batches per year, each batch taking 4-5 months to reach a weight of approximately 400g, at which point they can be sold. The longer the Koi carp are raised and the larger the individual fish, the higher their economic value. A beautiful Koi fish must meet many criteria, including its shape, head, fins, scales, tail, and origin.

The cheapest ones cost 150-200 thousand VND/kg, while purebred Koi fish with eye-catching, unique colors, nearly 1 meter long, and weighing tens of kilograms can be valued by fish connoisseurs at up to tens of millions of VND per fish.

Currently, the market demand for Koi carp is growing, while there are very few suppliers of this fish breed in the province. Therefore, the cooperative's Koi carp sales are very favorable; all harvested fish are bought by customers both within and outside the province. Each year, the cooperative supplies over 100 tons of Koi carp to the market. Many members of the cooperative have transformed their lives thanks to the high income from raising Koi carp.

Last September, Tan Khanh Production and Trade Cooperative in Minh Tan commune (Vu Ban district, Nam Dinh province) was honored as one of 63 outstanding cooperatives nationwide in 2024, established through the promotion, mobilization, and support of the Vietnam Farmers' Association, and was recognized by the Central Committee of the Association.

The ceremony honoring 63 exemplary cooperatives took place on the evening of October 14, 2024, on the occasion of the 94th anniversary of the Traditional Day of the Vietnam Farmers' Association. This serves as motivation for Tan Khanh Production and Trade Cooperative to continue investing in expansion and developing sustainable production.

Source: https://danviet.vn/ca-koi-ca-quy-toc-quoc-ngu-nhat-ban-nuoi-day-dac-o-mot-xa-cua-nam-dinh-dan-doi-doi-nha-giau-len-20241115124329417.htm