Farmers harvest sturgeon (Photo: baolaocai.vn) Lao Cai (VNA) - Breeding cold-water sturgeon in cages has broughta stable source of income for poor farmers in the northernmountainous province of Lao Cai.
Hong and Chay rivers which flow through many districts and nearly 30hydropower dams are considered favourable conditions for expanding caged fishbreeding, especially sturgeon, which helps create a food source for the marketand incomes for local farmers.
Atpresent, Lao Cai province is home to more than 14,000ha of water and hundredsof hectares of paddy fields which were used for breeding Vietnamese fish suchas tilapia, carp and catfish.
Notably,the province had more than 50,000cu.m of water breeding cold-water fish likesalmon and sturgeon. The total yield of farmed fish was over 5,000 tonnes peryear. However,fish farming in the province faces several challenges.
Dang DanhBo, an official from the Lao Cai Agriculture Promotion and Service Centre,said that “Most farms are small scale and raise traditionalVietnamese fish with locally-available agricultural by-products.”
“Exploitationof river water sources and reservoirs for fish breeding is not sufficient sothe economic value obtained from the practice remains low,” he said.
TheNational Agriculture Promotion Centre had introduced a model of breedingsturgeon in cages in northern mountainous provinces in 2018-2019.
In LaoCai province, many ethnic minority farmers have taken part in the productionmodel.
After ayear of implementation, the model has proved to be effective in the pursuitof sustainable aquaculture development while bringing about higheconomic values to the rural districts of Bac Ha, Muong Khuong and Bao Thang,which have suitable climate and an abundance of water resources.
Initially,the centre started with four households to carry out the model of breedingsturgeon in cages as a trial in Coc Ly Hydropower Plant's reservoir in Bac Ha district.
The totalvolume of the cages was 400cu.m of water and the breeding lasted for 12 months. Thehouseholds were provided with 3,000 fish breeds and 2,700kg of feed. Duringthe breeding, the fish adapted to the environment and grew quickly.
After ayear, the rate of living fish was 70 percent and reaching an average weight of1.8kg each. With aselling price of 130,000 VND (5.6 USD) per kilo, the total revenue of fourhouseholds was 415 million VND (17,800 USD), of which profit was nearly 116million (4,900 USD).
Breedingtraditional Vietnamese fish in cages on a similar scale brought profit of just 86million VND per year. Obviously,the economic value of the sturgeon farming was 34.8 percent higher thanbreeding other fish. Thesturgeons, which were raised in big cages and clean water with safe food, wereof better quality.
Bo fromthe province's agriculture promotion centre said the biggest benefitof the model is the ability to maintain a control over the quality of fishbreeds and feed, which will greatly help minimise diseases and protect theeco-system.
Cao Van Luc,a farmer in Coc Man hamlet, Xuan Quang commune of Bao Thang district, swore bythe quality of the fish and the revenues it brought in for the family. Hisfamily earned a profit of 29 million VND (1,300 USD) per year for every 50cu.m.
Followingthe initial successes, the National Agriculture Promotion Centre and provincialAgriculture Promotion and Service Centre have been organising field tripsand training sessions for 30 potential households in the districts ofBao Yen, Bao Thang, Bat Xat, and Muong Khuong starting this year.
Thecentres would help households link with businesses to organiseeco-tourism, build the brand of Lao Cai sturgeon this year, complete witha stamp proving the products' origin within the year.-VNA
Hong and Chay rivers which flow through many districts and nearly 30hydropower dams are considered favourable conditions for expanding caged fishbreeding, especially sturgeon, which helps create a food source for the marketand incomes for local farmers.
Atpresent, Lao Cai province is home to more than 14,000ha of water and hundredsof hectares of paddy fields which were used for breeding Vietnamese fish suchas tilapia, carp and catfish.
Notably,the province had more than 50,000cu.m of water breeding cold-water fish likesalmon and sturgeon. The total yield of farmed fish was over 5,000 tonnes peryear. However,fish farming in the province faces several challenges.
Dang DanhBo, an official from the Lao Cai Agriculture Promotion and Service Centre,said that “Most farms are small scale and raise traditionalVietnamese fish with locally-available agricultural by-products.”
“Exploitationof river water sources and reservoirs for fish breeding is not sufficient sothe economic value obtained from the practice remains low,” he said.
TheNational Agriculture Promotion Centre had introduced a model of breedingsturgeon in cages in northern mountainous provinces in 2018-2019.
In LaoCai province, many ethnic minority farmers have taken part in the productionmodel.
After ayear of implementation, the model has proved to be effective in the pursuitof sustainable aquaculture development while bringing about higheconomic values to the rural districts of Bac Ha, Muong Khuong and Bao Thang,which have suitable climate and an abundance of water resources.
Initially,the centre started with four households to carry out the model of breedingsturgeon in cages as a trial in Coc Ly Hydropower Plant's reservoir in Bac Ha district.
The totalvolume of the cages was 400cu.m of water and the breeding lasted for 12 months. Thehouseholds were provided with 3,000 fish breeds and 2,700kg of feed. Duringthe breeding, the fish adapted to the environment and grew quickly.
After ayear, the rate of living fish was 70 percent and reaching an average weight of1.8kg each. With aselling price of 130,000 VND (5.6 USD) per kilo, the total revenue of fourhouseholds was 415 million VND (17,800 USD), of which profit was nearly 116million (4,900 USD).
Breedingtraditional Vietnamese fish in cages on a similar scale brought profit of just 86million VND per year. Obviously,the economic value of the sturgeon farming was 34.8 percent higher thanbreeding other fish. Thesturgeons, which were raised in big cages and clean water with safe food, wereof better quality.
Bo fromthe province's agriculture promotion centre said the biggest benefitof the model is the ability to maintain a control over the quality of fishbreeds and feed, which will greatly help minimise diseases and protect theeco-system.
Cao Van Luc,a farmer in Coc Man hamlet, Xuan Quang commune of Bao Thang district, swore bythe quality of the fish and the revenues it brought in for the family. Hisfamily earned a profit of 29 million VND (1,300 USD) per year for every 50cu.m.
Followingthe initial successes, the National Agriculture Promotion Centre and provincialAgriculture Promotion and Service Centre have been organising field tripsand training sessions for 30 potential households in the districts ofBao Yen, Bao Thang, Bat Xat, and Muong Khuong starting this year.
Thecentres would help households link with businesses to organiseeco-tourism, build the brand of Lao Cai sturgeon this year, complete witha stamp proving the products' origin within the year.-VNA
VNA
