Raising Norwegian tilapia brings many unexpected results

Mr. Nguyen Van Tu feeds fish.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tu said: Norwegian tilapia is mainly raised in the rainy season on shrimp farming land in the fields of Hiep My Dong commune, Cau Ngang district. The model has contributed to diversifying the farming and increasing income for people when in the rainy season, salinity decreases and is not suitable for black tiger shrimp or white-leg shrimp. During the rainy season, shrimp farmers here often combine one rice crop or raise giant freshwater prawns.

Currently, the Norwegian tilapia farming model has opened a new direction in utilizing shrimp ponds to combine raising 01 crop of fish. Especially in the process of raising Norwegian tilapia, the water source in the fish pond is treated very well (waste from shrimp farming is treated by tilapia, into fish food...) and also helps shrimp farmers reuse the water source from the fish pond to supply back to shrimp ponds.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Cuong, one of the households that has access to the Norwegian tilapia farming model through the support of Mr. Nguyen Van Tu, shared: in the 2024 farming season, his family bought 8,000 Norwegian tilapia fry to raise on an area of 0.2ha of water surface from a tiger shrimp pond. Tilapia gives a profit of 10,000 - 11,000 VND/kg of commercial fish; farmed fish are very suitable for the rainy season (salinity from 0 - 05‰, fish grow and gain weight quickly). The amount of water in the fish pond is reused by the family, providing very good supply to the shrimp pond, treating this water source reduces costs by more than 80% compared to directly taking water from canals for treatment.

After 4 months of farming, Norwegian tilapia reach an average weight of 650 - 750 grams/fish, which is enough to harvest and sell to businesses. Currently, the market purchase price is from 32,000 - 35,000 VND/kg and each day the business catches 20 - 25 tons of fish/trip. In the second fish farming season, Mr. Nguyen Van Tu's family released 25,000 fingerlings/0.5ha of water surface; the total investment cost is about 270 million VND; of which, the cost of fingerlings is 25 million VND (1,000 VND/fingerling) and 230 million VND for feed (current fish feed price is 20,000 VND/kg)...

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Tu, the expected output is about 13 tons of commercial fish, after deducting costs, the profit is more than 150 million VND. To ensure good fish growth, the stocking density must be low (about 05 fish/ ^m2 ) and the shrimp pond converted to fish farming must have a water depth of 1.2 - 1.5m; during the farming process, a water fan must be used (7 - 8 hours/day). Fish farmers can add white-leg shrimp for combined farming; the shrimp stocking time is 01 month before releasing fish. During the fish farming process, there is no need to supplement feed for shrimp, shrimp will take advantage of waste from fish; in the last 2 fishing seasons, the family released shrimp for intercropping (25,000 young shrimp), earning more than 15 million VND/season.

Currently, the Norwegian tilapia farming model in the fields of Hiep My Dong commune has 04 households participating with Mr. Nguyen Van Tu's family, with a total area of over 2.5 hectares. The fish farming households are looking forward to the provincial agricultural sector, Tra Vinh Agricultural Extension Center to support them in creating conditions to access capital sources in transferring new models, training in science and technology... at the same time, building a replication model and establishing a cooperative group in fish farming...

Article and photos: HUU HUE

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