Replicating diversified aquaculture models for sustainable income

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Tra Vinh province, in the 2025 coastal aquaculture season, farmers have raised more than 8,000 hectares of black tiger shrimp and white-leg shrimp, nearly 1,500 hectares more than the same period last year. In addition to the intensive farming area of ​​black tiger shrimp and white-leg shrimp, many farming households continue to expand the green shrimp farming area with a variety of animals raised according to the forest-aquaculture model.

Shrimp and crab farming model under the forest canopy of Mr. Huynh Cong Ly's family, Long Vinh commune, Duyen Hai district. Photo: Thanh Hoa/VNA

Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Tra Vinh province, Tran Truong Giang, said that it is estimated that in the coastal areas of Cau Ngang, Duyen Hai districts, Duyen Hai town, Chau Thanh of the province, there are thousands of farming households that have released aquatic species such as shrimp, sea crab, mullet, sea bass intercropped in the model of combining forest - aquaculture. This is a model that the agricultural sector encourages farmers who do not have the conditions to raise industrial shrimp using high technology to produce to ensure sustainable income. Over many years of production, the forest - aquaculture model has always brought a stable income of an average of about 100 - 120 million VND/ha/year.

Mr. Nguyen Van Lam, Long Khanh commune, Duyen Hai district shared that his family has been implementing the forest-shrimp model for many years. With an area of ​​4 hectares, he arranged to dig a pond and plant forest trees such as mangrove, tiger shrimp, and mam, at a ratio of 40% forest - 60% pond surface to create shade and shelter for shrimp and other aquatic species. Each year, he releases about 50,000 tiger shrimp and 6,000 crabs, along with natural fish sources such as mullet, sandfish, and sea bass from the natural environment into the shrimp pond. The entire farming process only costs money to buy the seeds, no veterinary medicine for aquatic products, and the cost of feed is negligible, so the annual income is over 200 million VND.

According to Mr. Lam, the method of combining forest - tiger prawn - fish - sea crab farming also has the advantage of actively selecting tiger prawns, fish, and crabs of the first size and weight to sell at a high price, without losing money when the market price drops. Commercial aquatic products raised ecologically are always ordered by traders at a higher price than those raised industrially or semi-industrially from 25 - 30%. On average, 1 kg of tiger prawn (10 - 12 pieces/kg) raised ecologically has a stable price of 350,000 VND/kg, type I sea crabs and roe crabs have a price of 350,000 - 450,000 VND/kg (2 pieces/kg).

Mr. Tran Quoc Doan, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Duyen Hai district, said that in addition to the forest-shrimp model, for more than 5 years now, many farmers in the district have diversified their aquaculture to replace the second or third shrimp crop of the year to adapt to climate change, still bringing quite high economic efficiency to farmers. Specifically, the model of raising blood cockles in improved extensive shrimp ponds in Duyen Hai district has an average yield of over 4.4 tons/ha. With the price of commercial blood cockles sold at 80,000 VND/kg, farmers earn a net profit of 145 million VND/ha after only 4 - 4.5 months of farming.

Or the model of raising 1 crop of black tiger shrimp - 1 crop of mussels in semi-intensive black tiger shrimp ponds increases profits by about 50 million VND/ha/crop. The model of raising mussels in shrimp ponds only costs money for seeds, does not require care, and does not need to be fed because there is a source of organic sludge left at the bottom of the pond from the shrimp farming season, so the mussels still grow very well. On average, in an area of ​​1 hectare of shrimp pond, 80,000 - 90,000 mussels are raised. After 6 months of farming, the harvested mussel output is about 2 - 2.2 tons, sold at a price of 25,000 - 30,000 VND/kg.

According to Mr. Tran Truong Giang, by 2025, the province has set a target of achieving a coastal aquaculture output of more than 200,000 tons, contributing to the average annual growth rate of 5% in the added value of the aquaculture industry. The provincial agricultural sector will increase support for transferring science and technology applications in aquaculture to farmers to increase productivity and product quality. In addition to encouraging farmers to maintain the forest-aquaculture model area, the province has a policy for coastal localities to promote the exploitation of about 50,000 hectares of coastal land and 15,000 hectares of alluvial land and floating sandbanks to diversify aquaculture species, in order to create added value and help farmers increase their income sustainably.