SocTrang (VNS/VNA) – The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang plans tobreed brackish water shrimp species in more than 51,000ha of ponds next year,the same as this year.

Theywill include white-legged shrimp in 35,000ha and black tiger shrimp in the restof the area.

Thecoastal province, one of the delta’s largest shrimp producers, has producednearly 188,000 tonnes of shrimp this year, up 24.8 percent from last year,according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Intensiveand semi-intensive farming accounted for 94 percent of the 51,000ha this year.

Theyield is higher this year than average because farmers used advanced techniquesand followed the province’s breeding schedules.

Speakingat a seminar held in Soc Trang last week, Quach Thi Thanh Binh, deputy head ofthe Fisheries Sub-department, said brackish water shrimp farming was successfulthis year because the province managed the breeding schedules well and has manyeffective farming models.

TranVan Lau, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, instructed theDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development to develop infrastructure,irrigation and power supply in shrimp farming areas, especially where intensiveand semi-intensive farming is carried out, next year.

Theprovince would continue to solicit investment in breeding farms to meet thedemand for young brackish water shrimp, he said.

Thedepartment should seek to link producers and consumers to sustainably developshrimp farming and improve farmers’ incomes, he said.

Theprovince has great potential for breeding the crustacean, especially indistricts like Tran De, Cu Lao Dung and My Xuyen, where brackish water shrimpare bred using intensive, semi-intensive and other advanced farming models likethe two-stage industrial shrimp farming model.

Thetwo-stage model requires various ponds for breeding shrimp like one for anursery, the main pond and one for treating wastewater. Young shrimp are bredin the nursery pond for a few weeks before being transferred to the main one.

Theponds are equipped with oxygenation facilities, anti-sunlight nets and plasticsheets for covering their beds.

Themodel requires large initial investment but ensures more than 90 percent of theanimals survive.  

Accordingto Lam Thanh Lam, who has been breeding shrimp in Cu Lao Dung’s An Thanh 3commune for 15 years, after he has received training in using advancedtechniques to breed shrimp his yields have increased.

Henow breeds white-legged shrimp on an area of 2,500sq.m to Vietnamese goodagricultural practices (VietGAP) standards./.