Focus on the quality of aquatic breeds

In agriculture, breeds are the decisive factor for productivity and efficiency. The same is true for aquaculture; good breeds help farmers feel secure in their investments, reduce risks and improve production efficiency. In recent years, Lao Cai has focused on researching and producing aquatic breeds to meet people's needs and move towards sustainable development.

The province currently has more than 4,890 hectares of aquaculture water surface and over 2,800 cages on rivers and reservoirs. The output in the first 7 months of 2025 is estimated at 15,505 tons, equal to 55.4% of the annual plan. These figures show that the demand for breeds in the area is increasing, requiring more attention to breed production.

The province’s aquatic seed sources are currently mainly supplied by the Lao Cai Agricultural Seed Center. Every year, the Center produces over 30 million seeds of various types, focusing on popular fish species suitable for the market such as tilapia, carp, grass carp, etc., bringing stable economic value to the people.

Breed selection is considered the most important step, determining the productivity and efficiency of farmers. Therefore, in addition to traditional fish breeds, the Center also maintains and researches many local specialty fish species such as: spotted catfish, Nha catfish, black catfish, catfish, loach, etc. At the same time, it experiments with the farming of snails and some new breeds of high economic value. Research on specialty breeds not only aims to preserve rare local genetic resources but also opens up new directions in diversifying aquatic products, helping farmers have more choices suitable to market demand.

In fact, thanks to the guaranteed quality, fish fry from the production farms of the Provincial Agricultural Seed Center have been trusted and chosen by many fish farmers in the province, instead of buying from unknown sources.

Mr. Ma Seo Vinh, Bao Ha commune, has more than 7 years of experience in fish farming, shared: “I often buy fish fry at the province's aquaculture hatchery because it is very convenient, no need to transport far. The fry here are healthy, the survival rate is higher than buying outside. I also receive instructions from the staff at the hatchery on techniques for releasing, caring for, and preventing diseases for the fish, so when raising the fish, they grow quickly and the results are clearly visible.” Mr. Vu Seo Sung, Van Ban commune said: “I heard many people recommend that the fish fry at the province's hatchery are good, so I also came to buy some to release. The carp and silver carp here are healthy, grow quickly, and seeing the fish swimming makes me feel very secure. Last month, I bought 500 carps and a few kilos of silver carp to release into the pond, and now I'm here to buy more to release into the pond next door. The price of fry here is cheaper than buying on the street, but the quality is much more guaranteed.”

Positive feedback from the people is a clear testament to the reputation of the province’s aquaculture hatcheries. When farmers are confident about the quality of their hatcheries, they will boldly expand their scale, make long-term investments, and contribute to the sustainable development of aquaculture.

However, the province's aquaculture seed production still faces many difficulties. The facilities of the production farms were invested in a long time ago, many items have degraded and have not been upgraded or renovated in time. The nursery pond system and broodstock ponds are over 20 years old, significantly affecting productivity and quality. Faced with this situation, the Agricultural Seed Center is making efforts to overcome it to the extent possible, and at the same time recommending that the province pay more attention to investing in infrastructure, especially water treatment systems and broodstock areas. When infrastructure conditions are improved, research and production of new varieties can be highly effective, better meeting the increasing needs of the people.

In the context of the increasingly expanding aquaculture area, ensuring high-quality seed sources is of great importance. Not only helping to improve productivity and production efficiency, good seeds also contribute to limiting diseases, reducing costs, and enhancing the competitiveness of local aquatic products in the market. In the coming time, the provincial agricultural sector plans to continue researching, crossbreeding, and propagating native species and new valuable varieties, suitable for the farming conditions of each region. Along with that, supporting people to access techniques, training in safe farming processes, increasing income, and gradually making aquaculture a key commodity production industry of the province.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/chu-trong-chat-luong-nguon-giong-thuy-san-post881374.html