Mastering knowledge to reduce poverty: [Part 1] People living along Dau Tieng Lake change their lives

TAY NINH By mastering information, mastering techniques, and exploiting the advantages of Dau Tieng Lake, Loc Ninh people have effectively developed aquaculture, becoming a sustainable direction for poverty reduction.

Master information, master technique

Coming to Hamlet B4, Loc Ninh Commune, Tay Ninh Province, everyone knows about the commercial turtle farming model of Mr. Pham Van Toai, Vietnam's outstanding farmer of 2023. Although he is over 60 years old, he still constantly researches and applies scientific and technical advances to effectively raise turtles. "Farming now does not only rely on human power, but also requires techniques and information," said Mr. Pham Van Toai.

Model of raising soft-shell turtles to escape poverty in Loc Ninh commune. Photo: Tran Trung.

Mr. Toai's farm is well-invested, from the corridor road to the ponds are all straight concrete, along the banks are planted with green trees to create shade. Holding a soft-shell turtle weighing nearly 1kg, Mr. Toai added that soft-shell turtles take a long time to raise, more than 14 months to harvest, but the meat is delicious, rich in nutrients, with a stable price of about 300,000 VND/kg, ensuring farmers make a profit. Success or failure depends a lot on technique and water environment.

Thanks to the information from the technical instructions of the veterinary staff of the Tay Ninh Department of Livestock and Aquaculture, people know how to treat rainwater, prevent flooding, and add vitamins and minerals to food to increase the resistance of livestock. "Thanks to the correct technique, the water is clear, the turtles are healthy, grow quickly with little loss," Mr. Toai shared.

Not far away is Mr. Pham Van Dang's soft-shell turtle farm of more than 1,000 square meters, divided into many separate areas for each stage: breeding, incubation and breeding.

It is currently the rainy season, so he pays special attention to listening to newspapers and radio to monitor the weather and follow the instructions of fisheries officers to minimize risks if unusual weather occurs. “Turtles are susceptible to inflammation and fungus. Every time the weather changes, I use salt and lime to disinfect the tank, and sometimes I have to treat it with medicine according to the instructions of fisheries officers.

Mr. Pham Van Dang proactively prevents disease in turtle ponds during the rainy and stormy season. Photo: Tran Trung.

Raising soft-shell turtles is not difficult, you just need to be willing to learn, do it properly, and keep the environment clean. Now I am no longer poor, and I can also help people around here do the same,” Mr. Dang added excitedly.

"Leverage" for sustainable poverty reduction

With the advantage of being adjacent to Dau Tieng Lake and the main canal system in the East, not only in Hamlet B4, aquaculture has contributed to the successful poverty eradication of the lakeside communes of Phuoc Minh - Loc Ninh - Ben Cui, now the new Loc Ninh commune.

People in Loc Ninh commune take advantage of the lakeside to develop aquaculture. Photo: Tran Trung.

According to the leader of Loc Ninh commune, in the spirit of the Aquaculture Development Project approved by the Tay Ninh Provincial People's Committee in Decision 1515/QD-UBND in 2022, the locality has planned 82 hectares for aquaculture; at the same time, invested in a system of ditches to collect livestock wastewater, built three environmental treatment filter tanks, and coordinated with the Green Environment Company to operate a water treatment system that meets standards before putting it into general irrigation.

The Commune People's Committee has been implementing information on the policy to support the production chain according to Decision 23/2019 of the Provincial People's Committee. According to the policy, the state supports 30%, people contribute 70%. After being widely disseminated, it has attracted many people to participate, in which the Loc Ninh Commune Agricultural Service Cooperative and the Hiep Ninh Hamlet Snakehead Fish Farming Cooperative were supported with a total budget of 807 million VND to implement the project.

“With the 30-70 matching mechanism, it both encourages people and ensures they are more responsible for the project and more committed to their profession,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Dung, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Loc Ninh Commune.

Aquaculture helps people in Hamlet B4, Loc Ninh Commune change their lives. Photo: Tran Trung.

From raising snakehead fish, pangasius, tilapia to soft-shell turtles, many households have had a stable income, averaging 200-250 million VND/year, much higher than growing rice or other ineffective crops before. Thanks to that, there are now no poor households in the area, only a few near-poor households, mainly those with labor loss.

“With the motto of "giving fishing rods, not fish", this is the key to poverty reduction in the commune. In the coming time, the commune will continue to implement community development projects, support livelihoods, establish production capital management teams for disadvantaged households, aiming at the goal of sustainable poverty reduction. When people have access to knowledge, technical information guidance, land planning and support policies, they will be proactive in production, avoid risks and increase income," Mr. Nguyen Van Dung emphasized.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/lam-chu-tri-thuc-giam-ngheo-bai-1-dan-ven-ho-dau-tieng-doi-doi-d783994.html