Investing in lined ponds to raise snakehead fish, 5 brothers in Binh Phuoc want to have a large chain of links

Taking advantage of the available water source from Ba Mu Dam, Tan Phu Town, Dong Phu District (Binh Phuoc), Mr. Dang Tat Thang and his brothers have invested in building a commercial snakehead fish farm, and at the same time traveled to many places to learn about fish farming experiences and techniques. Their aspiration is to build an effective and sustainable commercial snakehead fish farming chain in the province from the stage of breeding to consumption.

“Before building the farm, we spent several months traveling from North to South to learn about and gain experience and techniques in snakehead fish farming. We carefully analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of different models, from raft farming to underground and floating pond farming... to choose the model that best suits the terrain and natural conditions of Binh Phuoc,” said Mr. Thang, the person in charge of managing the fish farm in Dong Phu district.

Đầu tư ao lót bạt nuôi cá lóc, 5 anh em ở Bình Phước muốn có chuỗi liên kết lớn- Ảnh 1. — The floating pond lined with tarpaulin of the fish farm clearly shows its advantages in being suitable for the local terrain and natural conditions - Photo: Dang Hung

After research, Mr. Thang's family decided to build a fish farm in a floating pond model with tarpaulin lining. This model is quite suitable for the gentle hilly terrain, the farmer is completely proactive in changing the water in the pond every day.

With a scale of more than 1 hectare, 12 large and small fish ponds are divided into two floors, of which 10 floating ponds on the first floor are covered with snakehead fish, while 2 underground ponds on the second floor will take advantage of the water discharged on the first floor to raise catfish and tra fish.

The farm's water supply and drainage system is also scientifically designed. Each pond on the first floor has its own water supply and drainage pipe, which can supply and drain water simultaneously. The farm also connects with a business that regularly sends technical staff to support the inspection and monitoring of water quality indicators during the farming process to ensure favorable fish growth.

Mr. Cao Huu Tien, in charge of technical application of Thang Long Group, Long An province, said: "The enterprise supports farm owners in checking the water source from the dam before supplying it to the ponds. There are 3 important indicators in pond water: pH, NH3, NO2. When these indicators are guaranteed, it will help fish grow well and reduce pathogens in the pond."

Đầu tư ao lót bạt nuôi cá lóc, 5 anh em ở Bình Phước muốn có chuỗi liên kết lớn- Ảnh 2. — Fish farm retails snakehead fish to reach the provincial market. Photo: Dang Hung

As the worker directly responsible for changing the pond water and feeding the fish, Mr. Nguyen Van Nhien said that he changes the pond water once a day, and after changing the water, let the pond settle for 5-10 minutes before feeding the fish. Mr. Nhien feeds the fish twice a day at fixed times in the morning and evening to create a habit for the fish, the food is completely mixed bran.

Thanks to proper farming techniques, the fish ponds have developed very well. The snakehead fish grow quickly and are rarely affected by diseases. Currently, the farm has exported individual snakehead fish to introduce to the provincial market and received good feedback from customers. It is expected that in May and June, the farm will export to both domestic and foreign markets. With 200,000 snakehead fish at the beginning, Mr. Thang expects this first harvest to reach 150-180 tons of commercial snakehead fish.

After Tet, the price of snakehead fish purchased at the farm fluctuates from 40,000 - 50,000 VND/kg, but according to long-time fish farmers, the price of commercial snakehead fish will often increase sharply around the middle of the year.

“After releasing this batch of fish, we plan to raise two more types of fish. In addition to raising snakehead fish ourselves, we will not raise them en masse as we do now, but will instead raise them in rotation to ensure that the farm always has finished fish to supply to the retail market,” said Mr. Thang.

According to Mr. Thang, raising snakehead fish for commercial purposes is not difficult, as long as the farmer is willing to research and learn from the experience of those who have gone before. He is willing to share and guide his experience with people or any unit that wants to develop the economy from raising snakehead fish for commercial purposes.

The wish of Mr. Thang and his brothers is to build an effective and sustainable chain of commercial snakehead fish farming in Binh Phuoc province, ensuring everything from the seed stage to the output market.

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