Raising crabs in plastic boxes

Article and photos: HIEU THUAN

Taking advantage of the local natural conditions, Mr. Nguyen Buu Loc in Rach Tram Hamlet, Bai Thom Commune, Phu Quoc City, Kien Giang Province, has raised crabs in plastic boxes under the canopy of coastal forests. This model brings quite high economic efficiency.

People in Rach Tram hamlet, Bai Thom commune, Phu Quoc city, raise crabs in plastic boxes under the canopy of coastal forests.

Mr. Loc said that when talking about sea crabs, people immediately think of Ca Mau . However, in Phu Quoc Island, sea crabs are also among the top fresh seafood, favored by many tourists. "Sea crabs in Phu Quoc have distinct characteristics such as black bodies, red claws, firm, sweet meat. However, natural sea crabs in Phu Quoc are gradually depleted, so I decided to raise sea crabs in plastic boxes to supply the market, contributing to improving family income" - Mr. Loc said.

According to Mr. Loc, at first he and his wife experimented with raising more than a hundred crabs. After a period of care, the crabs grew and developed well, so he increased the total number of crabs to 1,500, and at the same time covered the outside with nets to raise about 2,000 more. He cared for the molting crabs until they were about the size of a watch face, then put them in plastic boxes to raise them as they are now. To successfully raise crabs, Mr. Loc took advantage of the riverbank near his house with mangrove trees and covered them with nets. Then he added more tree trays, raised one crab in each plastic box and fed the crabs small fish twice a week. “Sea crabs are easy to raise, but the biggest obstacle for those who do this model is the high cost of investing in barns and breeding boxes. However, after the first crop, farmers can get their capital back and the crab breeding boxes can be used for many years. Crabs raised to the size of 5-6 crabs/kg will be sold for 300,000 VND/kg; 4 crabs/kg for 400,000 VND/kg and 2-3 crabs/kg for 500,000 VND/kg. After deducting losses, food... the profit can be about 60%” - Mr. Loc shared.

Since the beginning of 2023, Mr. Loc has invested more money to buy plastic boxes to raise about 1,500 crabs. With the current quantity, Mr. Loc has sold about 500 commercial sea crabs to the market, traders come to buy at home so he does not have to worry about output. "Just need to understand the living habits of crabs, work hard to learn more care techniques, then the productivity will be high. I will invest another 4,000-5,000 plastic boxes to expand the model. Besides, if people are of one mind, they can join hands to establish a cooperative or a group of sea crab farming cooperatives for sustainable development of the model" - Mr. Loc said.

Mr. Nguyen Van Quan, Deputy Head of Rach Tram Hamlet, said: “In the locality, the model of raising sea crabs in plastic boxes under the canopy of coastal forests is new but effective. If this model is replicated, it will contribute to improving the economy of many families, while also ensuring the supply of seafood for tourism and promoting local economic development.”

Source link