Beautiful freshwater lake like in movies in Binh Dinh, how to raise specialty fish, red tilapia to sell to Japan?

Delicious red tilapia are raised in Dinh Binh Lake - a beautiful artificial freshwater lake in the mountainous district of Vinh Thanh (Binh Dinh province). Raising red tilapia on the lake has brought good income to many farmers. This type of fish has been sold to the Japanese market.

"Live healthy" thanks to tilapia farming

Freshwater fish farming in cages in Dinh Binh Lake has been carried out by mountainous people in Vinh Thanh district, Binh Dinh for over 10 years.

To date, there are 32 households raising red tilapia and pearl gourami in 460 cages. This is a clean water area, suitable for developing aquaculture production, so the local government encourages production.

Vinh Thanh district has planned farming areas, ensuring regulation for people to develop cage fish farming.

Every year, Vinh Thanh District Agricultural Service Center organizes meetings and transfers and guides cage fish farming techniques to people.

Farmer Nguyen Van Le (58 years old), residing in Dinh An quarter, Vinh Thanh town, Vinh Thanh district, uses a motorboat to go to Dinh Binh lake, Vinh Hao commune, Vinh Thanh district, to take care of fish raised in cages every morning.

Red tilapia - a specialty fish raised in Dinh Binh Lake, Vinh Thanh mountainous district, Binh Dinh province. Photo: QN.

At the raft area of ​​farmer Nguyen Van Le's family, there are 22 cages for raising specialty fish, the fish are raised from 3 to 5 months.

Cage fish farming, including red tilapia farming, helps farmers in Binh Dinh have a stable income. Photo: QN.

"I started raising red tilapia in Dinh Dinh Lake for 2 years. The fish grow well and have few diseases. On average, each year, after deducting all expenses, raising red tilapia in cages in Dinh Binh Lake brings in more than 100 million VND," said farmer Le.

In May 2024, farmer Nguyen Van Le received support from the Agricultural Extension Center (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Dinh Province) and the Agricultural Service Center of Vinh Thanh District to raise red tilapia and link with product consumption. When participating in this model, Mr. Le received 50% support for food, seeds, and technical guidance.

According to farmer Nguyen Van Le, the agricultural extension model creates conditions to help with food and breeds.

"When I saw all the support conditions, I tried every way to raise fish effectively. The output of red tilapia is at a high level, about 52 thousand VND/kg, many people buy it, if there is fish meat, traders will buy it immediately.

Before, when there was no agricultural extension model, people still raised normally, but because the investment capital was too high, the government supported us with 50%, so the development was favorable. I have raised for 2 years without any obstacles," farmer Le shared.

In recent times, the development of fish cage farming on irrigation lakes has brought stable income to people in mountainous areas. The Department of Agriculture and agricultural extension projects have supported people in mountainous areas to invest and expand fish cages, bringing stable income.

Raising red tilapia in cages on Dinh Binh Lake. Photo: QN.

Le Van Thuan, Deputy Director in charge of Vinh Thanh District Agricultural Service Center, said that currently, the quality of fish raised in cages in Dinh Binh Lake meets the requirements of quality and quantity, with an average income of 100 million VND per household per year.

"People have been raising red tilapia for a long time, but the survival rate is very low and there is a loss. Through the model of raising red tilapia for commercial purposes linked to product consumption, we have monitored it since it was released and it is almost ready for sale, but the survival rate is high (98%). We must maintain a high survival rate to achieve productivity.
Next year, we will continue to implement this red tilapia model. For disadvantaged communes, we will support 100% of the seeds, food, and training, for example," said Mr. Thuan.

Exporting tilapia to the Japanese market

Dinh Binh Lake has the largest storage capacity among the reservoirs in Binh Dinh province with more than 226 million m3, water surface area of ​​more than 1,200 hectares.

Currently, people have only exploited a small part of the lake surface to raise freshwater fish. The output of tilapia raised in Dinh Binh Lake can supply the market with 500 tons/year.

Most fish farmers sell through traders and no business has yet come forward to purchase their products so that farmers can expand their farming rafts and increase their income.

According to Director of Binh Dinh Province Agricultural Extension Center Huynh Viet Hung, irrigation reservoirs in the province, especially Dinh Binh Lake, have the potential to develop cage fish farming.

Red tilapia raised in Dinh Binh Lake, Vinh Thanh District, Binh Dinh Province has been exported to the Japanese market. Photo: QN.

However, the traditional farming method of people has not been very effective when raising fish in irrigation lakes.

Mr. Huynh Viet Hung said that the model of raising red tilapia and linking product consumption helps people access modern fish farming techniques, increasing productivity:

"Commercial farming of red tilapia on Dinh Binh Lake is developing well and the survival rate is relatively high. This year, we have implemented 3 models: Cat Son Lake, Phu Cat; Nui Mot Lake, An Nhon Town; Dinh Binh Lake, Vinh Thanh. We provide technical guidance, closely follow the model regularly to help people change in the direction of technology, not the old techniques. From there, we help people gradually change to follow the process and techniques," said Mr. Hung.

Tilapia raised in Dinh Binh Lake (Vinh Thanh mountainous district, Binh Dinh) has brought good income to many farmers. Photo: QN.

The agricultural sector of Binh Dinh province is building a chain to link and consume tilapia from Dinh Binh irrigation reservoir to process into sashimi and export to Japan. Mai Tin Binh Dinh Company Limited (located in Nhon Hoi Economic Zone, Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province) specializes in the production and export of frozen seafood products. It has purchased tilapia from Dinh Binh Lake to process into sashimi, canned and sent to Japan for partners to taste and has received positive feedback.

From that positive result, this Company cooperated with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Dinh province to build a chain to link and consume red tilapia in Dinh Binh irrigation lake.

Binh Dinh provincial leaders assigned the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to work directly with fish farmers in Dinh Binh lake to sell red tilapia to the factory of Mai Tin Binh Dinh Company Limited without intermediaries.

Source: https://danviet.vn/ho-nuoc-ngot-dep-nhu-phim-o-binh-dinh-nuoi-ca-dac-san-ca-dieu-hong-kieu-gi-ma-ban-sang-nhat-ban-20241104104833381.htm