High-tech shrimp farming

In recent times, shrimp farming in the province has faced many difficulties due to the impact of diseases, climate change, and unstable environment. However, there are still shrimp farming households that have achieved economic efficiency thanks to the application of high-tech shrimp farming processes and multi-stage farming.

High-tech shrimp farming - a promising direction for the sustainable development of the shrimp farming industry.

Residents of Hai An commune, Hai Lang district, harvest shrimp raised using high-tech, multi-stage farming methods - Photo: LA

In 2023, Ms. Cao Thi Thuy, residing in Quang Xa village, Vinh Lam commune, Vinh Linh district, received support from the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center to invest in a two-stage intensive whiteleg shrimp farming model on a 1-hectare plot. Of this, 0.3 hectares were used for nursery and rearing ponds, with the remainder for water storage and treatment. After nearly four months of farming, her family harvested over 12 tons of commercial shrimp, equivalent to a yield of 30 tons/ha, generating a profit of over 700 million VND.

According to Ms. Thuy, with this two-stage farming model, shrimp larvae are initially stocked in nursery ponds at a density of 500 shrimp/m2. After about 1.5 months, when the shrimp reach a size of 150-170 shrimp/kg, they are transferred to grow-out ponds. At this point, the stocking density is reduced to 150-160 shrimp/m2. After 3 months of farming, when the shrimp reach a size of 38 shrimp/kg, she begins to thin out the shrimp in the pond to reduce density and ensure economic viability. After thinning, she continues to raise them for nearly another month, until the shrimp reach a size of 26 shrimp/kg, at which point she harvests the entire crop.

The model implemented at Ms. Thuy's farm demonstrates that raising whiteleg shrimp using a two-stage process has many advantages. In stage 1, the shrimp are raised in small, sheltered nursery ponds, which helps stabilize environmental factors, promoting good growth and a high survival rate. The small pond size also significantly reduces the cost of chemicals for environmental treatment, microbial products, minerals, and water pumping compared to traditional methods. In stage 2, the exact weight of the shrimp can be determined, allowing for the appropriate amount of feed to be given, avoiding overfeeding and reducing the amount of waste released into the environment.

“In particular, with a large pond area, the water supply to the nursery and rearing ponds is carefully treated, minimizing harmful pathogens. Farming using the water circulation method results in large shrimp sizes and much higher productivity than traditional farming methods,” said Ms. Thuy.

The concentrated shrimp farming area at Quang Xa Cooperative, Vinh Lam commune has a total area of over 23 hectares, of which about 10 hectares apply high-tech shrimp farming according to a 2-3 stage process, all ponds have roofing systems.

According to shrimp farmers, this is a suitable option, helping to overcome unfavorable weather and water environment conditions, regulating temperature, especially in summer and during transitional, hot weather. On average, the investment cost for a covered floating pond with an area of 800-1,000 m2 ranges from 300-400 million VND depending on the materials used.

In addition, high-tech intensive shrimp farming also has a large pond system, accounting for about 70% of the shrimp farming area, so the water supply is well treated, ensuring safety, helping to control diseases well.

According to Hoang Duc Huan, head of the shrimp farming group at Quang Xa Cooperative, intensive shrimp farming using high technology has developed strongly over the past two years. The harvest in 2023 reached over 93 tons, generating revenue of approximately 16.5 billion VND; after deducting expenses, the profit was around 8 billion VND. Notably, due to the pollution of the Sa Lung River, most households practicing conventional intensive shrimp farming suffered losses. Productivity, output, and profits were mainly concentrated in households applying high technology and following 2- or 3-stage farming processes.

Started in 2018, the province now has over 100 hectares of high-tech shrimp farming, mainly concentrated in the districts of Hai Lang, Trieu Phong, Gio Linh, Vinh Linh, and Dong Ha City. Most of these high-tech shrimp farming models have been successfully implemented and have brought high efficiency to farmers by reducing disease risks and minimizing production costs.

For example, in 2023, while shrimp farming households using traditional methods in Vinh Linh district suffered losses with over 250 hectares of shrimp dying due to disease and polluted water environment, high-tech shrimp farming households, following a 2-3 stage process, were still effective.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Huu Vinh affirmed that high-tech shrimp farming has partially solved the difficulties in managing the farming environment, especially in handling waste and toxic gases in ponds commonly encountered when farming using traditional methods. Specifically, typically when shrimp are about 60 days old, a significant amount of waste accumulates at the bottom of the pond. This is the time when toxic gases are most likely to be generated, affecting water quality and the health of the farmed shrimp.

Therefore, transferring from nursery ponds to grow-out ponds keeps the pond bottom fresh, and the short rearing time in each pond reduces the amount of waste and toxic gases generated. Furthermore, the rearing time for one crop in these ponds is not long, usually about two months, and the ponds are rotated in a continuous cycle, allowing farmers to increase the number of crop cycles per year.

According to Mr. Vinh, high-tech shrimp farming is currently an effective solution to help shrimp farmers limit disease outbreaks, adapt to climate change, and reduce environmental pollution. However, high-tech shrimp farming also faces certain difficulties, such as requiring a sufficiently large farming area, the construction of additional nursery ponds, and ponds for the second and third stages of cultivation; investment in synchronized machinery and equipment, especially water aeration and bottom oxygenation systems; and the completion of infrastructure such as electricity, roads, and irrigation and drainage systems, resulting in relatively high initial investment costs.

Therefore, in addition to the proactive efforts of shrimp farmers, the agricultural sector has recently implemented and encouraged the development of many high-tech shrimp farming models such as multi-stage shrimp farming processes, bioflock technology applications, VietGAP, etc., in order to adapt to climate change, reduce risks from diseases, improve productivity and quality, and gradually form a product consumption chain.

“In fact, in recent years, many households raising shrimp using traditional methods in earthen ponds have repeatedly failed. However, high-tech shrimp farming models have mostly brought high efficiency, especially models that follow a 2-3 stage process,” Mr. Vinh emphasized.

Le An

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