Green model – huge income

Liều nuôi lung tung, một người Quảng Nam có doanh thu 10 tỷ/năm, là Nông dân Việt Nam xuất sắc- Ảnh 1.

Change production habits

Ecological shrimp are shrimp that grow up in a natural environment, living and foraging according to their natural instincts. As a result, the shrimp do not carry residues of antibiotics, growth hormones, or environmental cleaning chemicals. Depending on the locality, ecological shrimp farming is developed with different farming models such as shrimp-mangrove, shrimp-rice, etc.

Farmers harvest shrimp raised under the mangrove forest canopy. Photo: Tan Dieu

In the southernmost province of Vietnam, characterized by its mangrove ecosystem, the mangrove shrimp farming model – raising shrimp under the canopy of mangrove forests – occupies a large portion of the area. Ecological shrimp farming in mangrove forests refers to shrimp living in brackish water environments with a minimum mangrove cover of 50% of the farming surface area.

Mr. Pham Van Lam, from Lam Hai commune, Nam Can district, has been raising shrimp under mangrove forests for over 20 years and is one of the households quite successful with this model. He recounts that, in the past, most shrimp larvae were caught from the wild and then placed in shrimp ponds to develop on their own without needing care. Later, as shrimp farming developed, the number of wild shrimp larvae gradually decreased, so people had to buy more artificially bred larvae for farming, but still maintained traditional production methods.

"In recent years, natural farming has become ineffective due to declining water quality and more demanding consumers. Farmers have started switching to ecological shrimp farming," Mr. Lam said.

According to Mr. Lam, the company contacted and persuaded the people to build an ecological shrimp farming area, guaranteeing the purchase of their products. In the beginning, the people were unfamiliar with the model, but gradually they understood its benefits and followed suit. Farmers paid more attention to selecting shrimp fry, and the stocking density was also lower than before.

Ecological shrimp farming is fundamentally no different from traditional methods, with the only minor change being that farmers do not use industrial feed, fish poisons, or banned chemicals. Ecological shrimp are usually raised using extensive or improved extensive farming methods, with stocking densities varying depending on regional conditions, and farmers may supplement their stock monthly. During the farming process, farmers must comply with regulations regarding the use of fertilizers and microorganisms (of organic origin).

Mr. Lam harvests blood cockles cultivated in combination with shrimp farming under the mangrove forest canopy. Photo: Tan Dien

Not far away, Mr. Pham The Kiep said his family has more than 5 hectares of land where they are producing shrimp using an ecological farming model under the mangrove canopy. "The mangrove canopy lowers the water temperature, creating favorable conditions for aquatic life to thrive. The fallen mangrove leaves serve as food for the shrimp and crabs below. Typically, farmers harvest the shrimp gradually after 4 to 6 months of farming. If things go well in a year, combining shrimp farming with crabs and blood cockles can yield a profit of several hundred million dong. Compared to traditional farming methods, farmers have a higher and more sustainable income," Mr. Kiep explained.

According to statistics from relevant authorities, some income sources from ecological shrimp farming models average 100-120 kg/ha/year of shrimp; 50-80 kg/ha/year of crab; 50 kg/ha/year of various fish; and 100-150 kg/ha/year of blood cockles, with a total income of 30-40 million VND/ha/year. Shrimp certified according to international standards will be purchased by processing and export businesses at a price approximately 5-10% higher than other traditional products. Thanks to this, farmers applying the model will have less to worry about market access and fluctuating prices.

In addition, businesses support payments for forest environmental services covering 250,000-500,000 hectares per year and provide high-quality breeding stock for aquaculture. Besides income from aquaculture, people also receive additional income from harvesting forest trees when they reach the legally permitted harvesting age.

Superior shrimp quality

In Ca Mau , the ecological shrimp farming model was established and developed before 2000. When the market highly valued ecological shrimp products, many businesses collaborated with forest management units to invest in and build shrimp farming areas according to certifications.

Currently, the province has approximately 40,000 hectares of ecological shrimp farming under mangrove forests, concentrated most heavily in Ngoc Hien district with nearly 23,000 hectares, Nam Can with over 7,600 hectares, Dam Doi with about 5,000 hectares, and Phu Tan with 4,000 hectares. Of this area, about 20,000 hectares of shrimp farms have achieved certifications according to international standards, and the products are exported to many countries around the world .

According to Ms. Bui Ngoc To Nga, a project manager for an eco-friendly shrimp farming company in Ca Mau, two crucial factors are important for eco-friendly shrimp farming: broodstock and water quality. In this model, the shrimp are raised naturally, and water quality is difficult to control, so the company must ensure the quality of the broodstock. "This area usually has a large farming area, so we have also conducted research. A larger number of broodstock released yields comparable results. Most importantly, the shrimp must be clean and completely exportable to demanding international markets," Ms. Nga stated.

Ca Mau province is identifying aquaculture under mangrove forests as a sustainable model for economic development, forest protection, and development. Therefore, the provincial agricultural sector is continuing to direct relevant units to coordinate with international organizations to implement investment projects to support and guide people in developing aquaculture models under mangrove forests.

In addition, the authorities also focus on linking with businesses inside and outside the province to organize production in a way that enhances the value and quality of products. This contributes to increasing income and improving the lives of households that have been contracted to cultivate forest land.

Eco-friendly shrimp that meets international certifications is accepted by many demanding markets.

Mr. Phan Hoang Vu, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ca Mau province, informed: Aquaculture under mangrove forests is a form of farming associated with forest protection and mangrove reforestation, with many species such as shrimp, fish, crabs, blood cockles, snails, etc. Nowadays, this model is also considered a method of carbon absorption, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and is in line with the green development trend in the world. This is a form of farming that uses natural food, limits waste generation, has low investment costs, and brings relatively high income to farmers.

"The agricultural sector is continuing to direct relevant units to coordinate and support seafood processing and export businesses in building linked farming areas, adhering to international certification standards to improve product quality and meet the demands of the export market. In addition, authorities must also support traceability, certification of farming areas; develop geographical indications, brands, promote products, and connect markets for product consumption," Mr. Vu emphasized.

With its unique location, being the only province bordered by the sea on three sides, Ca Mau has favorable conditions for developing aquaculture, especially shrimp farming. The province currently has the largest shrimp farming area in the country with nearly 280,000 hectares. The locality aims to maintain the brackish water shrimp farming area by 2025, achieving a production of 280,000 tons and export value of 1.4 billion USD.