Crab farming - changing to new methods to improve efficiency

VIRTUE

Crab farmers in the Ca Mau Peninsula are approaching new methods, applying technical advances in farming process management. Controlling nutritional food sources, good environment, improving the quality of delicious crab meat to meet market demand.

Raising crabs using techniques in plastic boxes. Photo: LCH

In recent years, when natural aquatic resources have decreased, sea crabs have high economic value and good market demand, so they are considered a new profession by coastal people. Sea crab farming has developed more and more in the provinces of Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, etc.

However, up to now, the current situation of sea crab farming is still small-scale. Most farmers rely on natural conditions or raise crabs combined with extensive shrimp farming. Therefore, the application of technical farming processes is not good. Meanwhile, the source of crab food from trash fish is gradually becoming scarce, not proactive. Unsuitable crab food affects the quality of meat or the crab roe is very low, difficult to raise into roe, low selling price, low efficiency.

On the other hand, recently crab farmers in Nam Can district, Ca Mau province have been alarming about the death of sea crabs raised in shrimp ponds. The cause is believed to be due to hot weather, crustacean parasite infection, etc. Faced with this situation, sea crab farmers want to switch to a better farming model, control the source of nutritional food and the pond environment. Thereby improving the quality of crab meat, diversifying delicious crab products with high value to meet market demand.

In Soc Trang , with the natural advantage of being adjacent to the 70km long East Sea coastline, Soc Trang province aims to develop a marine economy. In recent years, aquaculture models have been continuously applied with technology to increase efficiency. In particular, the model of raising crabs in plastic boxes has initially helped farmers switch to new ways of doing things.

Mr. Du Quoc Bao, in Nam Can Hamlet, Vinh Tan Commune, Vinh Chau Town, Soc Trang Province, is the first farmer to raise sea crabs according to new technical process instructions. In the last 4 months of 2022, the model of commercial crab farming in plastic boxes, piloted by the Soc Trang Provincial Agricultural Extension Center on an area of 0.4 ha of ponds, was effective. Many crab farming households in the area and neighboring provinces came to visit and share production experiences. Previously, the crab farming model applying new technology was successively tested and verified for effectiveness in the provinces of Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Phu Yen, Quang Ninh, etc.

In fact, through Mr. Bao's model of raising sea crabs using new techniques. He released crabs at a density of 1 crab/m2, achieving a survival rate of 60%, a feed conversion ratio - FCR = 1, a farming size of 360g/crab, and a yield of 720kg. The total cost of implementation (including model support capital and counterpart capital of Mr. Bao's family) was over 120 million VND. At the end of the season, the total revenue was over 158 million VND, after deducting costs, the profit was over 37.5 million VND.

The model has achieved positive results, with a high survival rate of crabs. Especially thanks to disease prevention and the appropriate supply of crab feed for each stage of farming, the pond environment is very well controlled. The model attracts many farmers from neighboring localities to visit, share experiences in commercial crab farming and expand production.

According to the staff of Vinh Chau Town Agricultural Extension Station, the model of "Raising sea crabs in plastic boxes combined with raising tilapia" aims to improve the farming process and apply new technology, which has contributed to improving the efficiency of crab farmers. The application of crab farming techniques through 2 stages and raising in plastic boxes, using industrial feed combined with fresh food. In particular, raising sea crabs combined with raising tilapia in ponds (tilapia) for crabs to eat has achieved positive results. This model contributes to reducing environmental pollution and limiting pathogens.

Good management and control of clean pond water environment and good source of nutritious food should produce good quality crab meat. This model makes it easy to monitor the crabs to reach the right weight, the crabs grow evenly and are well consumed when harvested. Traders prefer to buy but cannot meet market demand.

Currently, the price of commercial crab in the Mekong Delta is 200,000-300,000 VND/kg for ungraded meat crab, 400,000 VND/kg for red crab, and 700,000-800,000 VND/kg for two-shelled soft-shell crab. In Soc Trang, there is currently a business and a number of farmers developing a meat crab farming model towards fattening crab, raising roe crab, and two-shelled soft-shell crab to increase profit efficiency.

Source link