Effectiveness of Vinh Son sour shrimp processing model

QTO - Realizing that the locality has strengths in fresh shrimp resources, Ms. Ho Thi Hau, Vice President of the Women's Union of Huynh Thuong village, Vinh Thuy commune, has invested in implementing a Vinh Son sour shrimp processing model. The model has initially increased the income of her family and some women members in their spare time, contributing to enriching economic models in rural areas.

Promoting the effectiveness of vocational training

In June 2024, the Women's Union of Vinh Linh district (old) coordinated with the District Vocational Education and Continuing Education Center and the Women's Union of Vinh Son commune (old) to organize a training course on shrimp paste processing techniques for 30 female members. Immediately after the course, Ms. Hau was the only one who quickly applied the knowledge and skills she had learned to actual production.

Thanks to her diligence and meticulousness in preparing and processing ingredients and spices, along with her "skills" in making fish sauce, Ms. Hau soon succeeded with her first batches of sour shrimp. "My criteria is that the product must be fresh, of good quality, delicious, and suitable for consumers' taste. Therefore, while working, I also learned from experience, and only when the product was highly appreciated by many people in the village and commune did I decide to sell it to the market. Previously, my income was unstable, mainly based on a few fields. Since producing sour shrimp, I have had a more stable job, creating conditions for my children to study and cover living expenses at home," Ms. Hau shared.

Ms. Hau mixes ingredients to make sour shrimp - Photo: KS

To make sour shrimp, Ms. Hau orders fresh shrimp right in the commune, along with fresh and delicious spices of guaranteed origin such as galangal, chili, garlic, sugar, salt, and MSG. According to Ms. Hau, the most important step in making fish sauce is selecting and preparing the shrimp. The shrimp must be alive and healthy, washed, the head removed, and the veins removed from the body. After draining, the shrimp are soaked in white wine for about 30 minutes to remove the fishy smell.

Next, scoop out the shrimp, drain thoroughly; add the prepared spices and mix well with the shrimp, depending on the amount of shrimp, the proportion of spices will be appropriate. Finally, put the shrimp in a glass jar or a plastic box lined with nylon, tie the nylon bag tightly in the box, cover tightly, incubate at room temperature, after 7 days it can be used.

On average, each month, Ms. Hau processes about 100 kg of fresh shrimp as raw material. For each kg of fresh shrimp after preliminary processing, she can make 3 boxes of sour shrimp of 5-6 taels, with a selling price of 100,000 VND/box. After deducting expenses, the model brings her a steady income of 5-7 million VND/month. In particular, she also creates seasonal jobs for 4 women members in the village with an income of 200,000-300,000 VND/person/day.

During the peak of the Lunar New Year in 2025, to meet customer demand, she used 300 kg of fresh shrimp as raw material for making fish sauce, so her and her workers' income increased 2-3 times compared to normal days.

Aiming at OCOP products

The new Vinh Thuy commune was established on the basis of merging 3 communes: Vinh Lam, Vinh Son and Vinh Thuy. The whole commune has nearly 200 hectares of shrimp. Of which, Vinh Son commune (old) has 172 hectares, which is a large shrimp farming "barn" in the locality. This is an abundant source of local raw materials for Ms. Hau to develop a good sour shrimp processing model. However, due to lack of conditions to invest in a systematic production facility, she still produces manually, on a small scale, without a separate production area. The products also do not have a brand, mainly sold through personal social networking sites.

“In the coming time, I will strive to expand the production facility, processing about 200 kg of fresh shrimp per month, so I hope to receive support from local authorities and relevant agencies in the procedures for recognizing food safety and hygiene products, registering labels, and preferential loans to invest in developing the model,” Ms. Hau suggested.

Vinh Son sour shrimp products stand out thanks to their clean processing process, ensuring the freshness and crispness of the shrimp. The acidity is calibrated to create a unique and distinctive flavor and beautiful color. Although only produced for more than a year, the product has attracted a large number of customers inside and outside the province, at times the supply cannot meet the demand.

Ms. Hau's model has effectively exploited available raw materials, creating valuable products, which is a premise for many women in the village to learn, replicate the model and develop the economy together.

Vice Chairman of Vinh Thuy Commune People's Committee Vo Duy Hoai said: "After the merger, Vinh Thuy Commune has many potential economic models, including Ms. Hau's sour shrimp processing model. Through coordination and on-site inspection, the commune assessed the product as very good from the raw material purchasing stage to the finished product processing stage. The commune will support her in the procedures for registering for food hygiene and safety certification, packaging, and labeling to expand the production scale and build OCOP products.

At the same time, it is proposed that the province support industrial promotion capital to help the model develop on a larger scale, create stable output for products, and contribute to solving employment for local workers.

Ko Kan Suong

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202510/hieu-qua-mo-hinh-che-bien-tom-chua-vinh-son-798287a/