Convert shrimp farming to snail farming

( Quang Ngai Newspaper) - In the past 2 years, realizing that the model of raising snails combined with rabbitfish and cobia is highly effective, most people in Pho Quang ward (Duc Pho town) have converted from brackish water shrimp farming to snail farming.

Mr. Ngo Tien Dung, in Pho Quang ward, shared, “At first, I only implemented a model of raising snails combined with rabbit fish on an area of 500m2. However, after testing the model, I saw high economic efficiency, so I converted the entire 5,000m2 of shrimp pond to raise snails. Not only me, but now, most households have switched to raising snails.”

People in Pho Quang ward (Duc Pho town) harvest snails to sell to traders.

People of Pho Quang ward (Duc Pho town) harvest snails to sell to traders.

According to snail farmers, compared to shrimp farming, snail farming is more favorable and has fewer diseases. However, recently, due to the prolonged hot weather, snails have been infected with diseases or died from heat shock... "The living environment of snails is mainly buried in the sand, only when there is food will they float up to eat and then dive down to hide in the sand. However, in recent days, snails swim up to eat and cannot dive down, while the weather is too hot, so many snails have died," Mr. Dung analyzed.

Snail farmers are taking many measures to overcome snail deaths. Accordingly, after the snails and farmed fish have finished feeding together, pond owners proceed to suck out the waste remaining at the bottom of the pond, continuously monitor and handle changes in water level as well as water quality, to limit the shrimp from being shocked by heat. At the same time, to reduce the farming density, some farmers have harvested large batches of snails for sale.

Currently, the price of snails purchased by traders at the lake is about 200,000 VND/kg for the 100-snail/kg type and 150,000 VND/kg for the 150-snail/kg type. Compared to the same period last year, the price of snails this year is lower. However, compared to other farming species, snail farming is still more effective.

The whole province currently has about 237 hectares of brackish water aquaculture. Of which, the shrimp farming area is about 132 hectares, the snail farming area is about 73 hectares (concentrated in Pho Quang ward) and the crab and fish farming area is about 31 hectares. The output is about 1,085 tons. Of which, the shrimp output is about 350.5 tons and the snail output is over 734 tons.

Article and photos: AN NHIEN

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Published at: 21:38, 23/05/2024

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