Taking advantage of favorable weather, aquaculture pond owners in Nghe An harvest aquatic products and sell them at high prices.

bna_1(2).jpg — Harvesting grouper and silver pomfret in Tan Mai. Photo: TP

In the last days of July, along the coastal aquaculture areas of Nghe An, the atmosphere of production and labor has become busier than ever. Under the hot sun, people take advantage of the time to pump out water, pull nets, rake clams, and collect products to "scrape" each batch of goods before the new storm hits.

According to forecasts, from now until the end of October, there may be many storms and tropical depressions in the East Sea, along with the risk of prolonged heavy rains, causing flooding in coastal farming areas. To limit damage, many households have proactively harvested gradually, selling products as soon as prices are "warm" and consumption is favorable.

In Tan Mai ward (formerly Hoang Mai town), Ms. Nguyen Thi Hieu’s family has 5 ponds raising grouper, silver pomfret, shrimp and tilapia. On extremely hot days, her family still tries to harvest each pond, even though the yield has not met expectations.

bna_2(2).jpg — Ms. Nguyen Thi Hieu decided to harvest some of the silver pomfret fish in the pond even though they had not yet reached their weight, both to reduce the density and to ensure a "safe meal" before the peak of the rainy and stormy season. Photo: TP

“The recent floods have caused changes in the pond environment, so waiting until the fish reach their maximum weight will be very risky. The weather is sunny and traders are coming to buy at good prices, so my family has proactively thinned each pond to “secure” the yield and prepare for the upcoming storm season,” said Ms. Hieu.

bna_3(2).jpg — Grouper prices are high, 250,000 VND/kg (2-3 fish). Photo: TP

Currently, Ms. Hieu's family's brackish water grouper fish averages 2-3 fish/kg, selling at the pond for 250,000 VND/kg; silver pomfret fish reach 5 fish/kg, selling for 150,000 VND/kg. Although they have to harvest early and have not yet reached the desired output, the high selling price and favorable output help the family ensure profits and have capital to reinvest in the new crop.

Not only Tan Mai ward, in Quynh Phu commune (formerly Quynh Luu district), these days, clam fields are also bustling with early harvest. Mr. Nguyen Van Hoang, owner of a 15-hectare clam pond in Van Hai, said: "The weather after the flood is hot and humid, so clams grow more slowly. But in return, the consumption market is very good, prices are increasing, and traders come to the place to buy, so we focus on human resources and machinery to rake clams, in time to sell before the storm season".

bna_4(2).jpg — In clam farming areas, pond owners also take advantage of harvesting when prices are good. Photo: TP

Currently, commercial clams weighing 80 pieces/kg are purchased at 16,000-17,000 VND/kg, an increase of 3,000-5,000 VND/kg compared to the beginning of the year. Each hectare of Mr. Hoang's pond harvests 15-18 tons of clams, ensuring profit even though the output has not reached its maximum. "The biggest gain is fast consumption, good prices, minimizing risks and having timely capital to plant new breeds," Mr. Hoang emphasized.

According to people's experience, at the current changing seasons, proactively harvesting gradually is a "sure" solution to adapt to unpredictable weather developments. Even though they have to harvest early and accept lower-than-expected yields, in return, farmers avoid the risk of losing everything when storms come.

bna_5(2).jpg — High selling price, easy to consume, so farmers are very excited. Photo: TP

“In aquaculture, you have to stick to reality and be flexible every day. When it’s sunny, sell your products, when it’s rainy, preserve your ponds. You can’t wait for the “right crop” and end up losing the whole crop. Harvesting gradually and selling in batches is the safest way to ensure income, especially when the product is priced like it is now,” Ms. Hieu shared.

In addition to the initiative from the people, weather forecasting and warning from the authorities also play a very important role, helping farming households to make timely production plans. Many localities also recommend that people adjust the farming density appropriately, renovate ponds to prevent flooding, and combine mixed farming models to disperse risks when the weather is complicated.