Ready for the new shrimp farming season.

QTO - These days, shrimp farmers in the province are busy renovating ponds, repairing machinery and equipment, and preparing all the necessary conditions for the new shrimp farming season. Despite many difficulties and challenges ahead, with the thorough preparation of the people and the active involvement of specialized agencies, this year's farming season is expected to yield positive results.

Proactive adaptation

To ensure he can release shrimp fry according to the seasonal schedule, Mr. Tran Tiem, from Phan Hien village, Vinh Thuy commune, is busy repairing the dike system and dredging mud from his 0.3-hectare shrimp pond these days.

Having been involved in shrimp farming since 2020, Mr. Tiem earns a stable profit of 80-90 million VND annually. Mr. Tiem stated that because this is the main farming season of the year, he and other local shrimp farmers meticulously prepare their ponds to ensure a successful harvest. He also pre-orders shrimp fry from a reliable source in Khanh Hoa province, with complete quarantine certificates.

According to Mr. Tiem, given the forecast of intense heat right from the start of the season, he is leaning towards raising the fish at a moderate density of about 30 fish/ ^m² to reduce investment costs and minimize risks.

"Scattering the shrimp significantly reduces feed and medicine costs, and they reach larger sizes faster, fetching higher prices. In the context of increasingly harsh weather conditions like this year, sparse stocking also greatly reduces risks," Mr. Tiem explained.

While Mr. Tiem is focusing on renovating his ponds in preparation for stocking, Mr. Tran Van Chung, also from Phan Hien village, Vinh Thuy commune, is simultaneously managing both activities. With 4 hectares of shrimp farming divided into 8 rearing ponds and 1 water reservoir, 4 of his ponds have been stocked for 2-3 months, while the rest are undergoing renovation in preparation for the new season.

According to Mr. Chung, based on his experience over more than 20 years of raising shrimp, he has observed that this year's weather has been quite unfavorable. Therefore, instead of rushing to stock the ponds, the stages of pond renovation must be carried out more meticulously. Accordingly, it is necessary to replace all the pond liners, reinforce the pond banks securely, and fill the settling pond with water for treatment according to established procedures before supplying it to the main ponds.

The concentrated shrimp farming area in Phan Hien village, Vinh Thuy commune, is being renovated in preparation for the new farming season - Photo: LA

He also recalculated the stocking density; instead of raising shrimp at a high density of 100-150 shrimp/m2, he now only stocks about 15-20 shrimp/ ^m2 to give them space to grow and reduce stress in conditions of high water temperatures. He maintains a reserve water pond to proactively supply and change water continuously to maintain stable temperature in the rearing ponds when the weather changes unexpectedly. Mr. Chung said that in 2025, even if some ponds suffer losses due to slow shrimp growth, the overall profit will still reach over 1 billion VND.

"Shrimp fry should be sourced from reputable, quarantined, and quality-assured suppliers. Stocking must strictly adhere to the seasonal schedule," Mr. Chung shared.

According to Diep Hong Cuong, Head of the Economic Department of Vinh Thuy Commune, in 2025, the locality maintained a stable shrimp farming area of ​​over 194 hectares, with a production of nearly 400 tons, achieving 100% of the set plan. However, despite these positive results, disease outbreaks in brackish water shrimp farming still occur, which is one of the challenges the locality is focusing on addressing in the new farming season.

Specifically, the Economic Department focuses on promoting and encouraging shrimp farmers to gradually shift from traditional methods, directly supplying water to ponds without sedimentation and filtration, to adopting new, advanced farming techniques in a high-tech direction, a 2-3 stage shrimp farming process, applying biofloc technology, following VietGAP standards, combined with effective disease prevention and control. This includes adhering to the correct planting season, selecting shrimp fry with clear origins and that have undergone quarantine, and maintaining stocking densities as recommended by specialized agencies.

For low-lying riverside aquaculture areas prone to annual flooding, the farming season must end before September 30th to avoid losses due to late-season natural disasters. Farmers must proactively implement technical measures to effectively manage pond water and water supply to prevent and minimize risks during the farming process. Furthermore, the discharge of dead aquatic animals and untreated wastewater into the environment is strictly prohibited. Upon detecting diseased or abnormally dead shrimp, farmers must immediately report to the commune People's Committee or veterinary authorities for coordinated and timely action to prevent the spread of disease.

Towards sustainable shrimp farming

According to Deputy Head of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Inspection Department Nguyen Duc Trung, the province currently has 2,320 hectares of shrimp farms with two main species: whiteleg shrimp and tiger shrimp, with an annual production of approximately 7,790 tons, concentrated in riverside and coastal areas. Shrimp farming is gradually shifting towards commercial production, and the application of science, technology, and high-tech methods has helped reduce disease risks, improve productivity, and enhance product quality. To date, 192.7 hectares of high-tech shrimp farming have been expanded throughout the province, achieving yields 4-5 times higher than the average, with production reaching 25-30 tons/ha and estimated profits of approximately 1 billion VND/ha.

Regarding the direction for shrimp farming in 2026, Mr. Trung said that the unit has advised the Department of Agriculture and Environment to issue a specific stocking schedule for each farming area so that people can proactively implement it. Accordingly, for riverside farming areas, the main whiteleg shrimp farming season will begin stocking from March 15 to June 30, 2026. For sandy farming areas with adequate infrastructure, stocking can start earlier, from February 15, 2026.

Based on this, localities should assess the actual situation in each farming area to recommend and guide appropriate stocking schedules. They should proactively develop plans, allocate resources, and organize the implementation of comprehensive disease prevention and disaster mitigation measures during production. They should encourage farmers to establish cooperative and community-based aquaculture models in concentrated farming areas to raise awareness of disease prevention and control, protect the environment, and support each other in production and product consumption.

Encourage shrimp farming using multi-stage processes and stocking large-sized fry for commercial farming, and shrimp farming according to VietGAP standards… Diversify farming methods and species in difficult or disease-prone areas, such as integrated farming of shrimp, crab, and brown fish, or farming of kingfish and pearl grouper in ponds lined with tarpaulin.

“In parallel, the sub-department will strengthen environmental monitoring and warning systems and proactively supervise disease outbreaks in key aquaculture areas; closely coordinate with localities to strictly manage the quality of shrimp fry, preventing substandard fry from circulating in the market. The ultimate goal is not just production volume, but to build a responsible, safe, and sustainable aquaculture industry,” Mr. Trung emphasized.

Le An

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202604/san-ready-for-new-shrimp-farming-e2f16d3/