The effectiveness of raising red tilapia in the mountainous irrigation lake of Binh Dinh

Every day at 6:30 a.m., Mr. Nguyen Van Le (58 years old), residing in Dinh An quarter, Vinh Thanh town, Vinh Thanh district, uses a motorboat to go to Dinh Binh lake, Vinh Hao commune, Vinh Thanh district to take care of fish raised in cages. Mr. Nguyen Van Le's family's cage area has 22 cages, and the fish are raised for 3 to 5 months. Mr. Nguyen Van Le started raising red tilapia in Dinh Dinh lake for 2 years, the fish have grown well, and there are few diseases. On average, each year, after deducting all expenses, raising red tilapia in cages in Dinh Binh lake has brought Mr. Le more than 100 million VND.

Mr. Nguyen Van Le feeds fish every day.

In May 2024, Mr. Nguyen Van Le was supported by the Agricultural Extension Center (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Dinh province) and the Agricultural Service Center of Vinh Thanh district to raise red tilapia linked to product consumption. When participating in this model, Mr. Le was supported with 50% of food, breeds, and technical guidance:

“The agricultural extension model creates favorable conditions for food and breeds. When I see that I am supported in all conditions, I also try to work hard to raise fish effectively. Today's output fish is also high at 52,000 VND/kg, many people buy, if there is fish for meat, traders will buy it immediately. Before, when there was no agricultural extension model, people still raised fish normally, but because the investment capital was too high, the State supported us with 50%, so the development was favorable. I have raised fish for 2 years without any obstacles.”

Mr. Nguyen Van Le, Vinh Thanh town, Vinh Thanh district raises fish in Dinh Binh lake.

Freshwater fish farming in cages in Dinh Binh Lake has been carried out by the mountainous people of Vinh Thanh District for more than 10 years. Up to now, there have been 32 households raising fish in 460 cages of red tilapia and pearl gourami. This is a clean water area, suitable for developing aquaculture production, so the local government encourages production. Vinh Thanh District has planned farming areas, ensuring regulation for people to develop fish farming in cages. Every year, Vinh Thanh District Agricultural Service Center organizes meetings and transfers and guides people on fish farming techniques in cages. Mr. Le Van Thuan, Deputy Director in charge of Vinh Thanh District Agricultural Service Center, said that currently, the quality of fish raised in cages in Dinh Binh Lake meets the requirements of quality and quantity, with an average income of 100 million VND per household per year.

“People have been raising red tilapia for a long time, but the survival rate is very low and the loss is very high. Through the commercial tilapia farming model linked to product consumption, we have monitored it since it was released and it is almost ready for sale, but the survival rate is high (98%). We must maintain a high survival rate to achieve productivity. Next year, we will continue to implement this red tilapia model. For difficult communes, we will support 100% of the breed, food, and training, for example.”

Freshwater fish cages in Dinh Binh Lake, Vinh Hao Commune, Vinh Thanh Mountainous District, Binh Dinh Province.

Dinh Binh Lake has the largest storage capacity among the reservoirs in Binh Dinh province with over 226 million m3, water surface area of ​​over 1,200 hectares. Currently, people have only exploited a small part of the lake surface area to raise freshwater fish. The output of red tilapia raised in Dinh Binh Lake can supply the market with 500 tons/year. Most fish farmers sell through traders and no business has yet come forward to purchase the products so that people can expand the scale of their farming rafts and increase their income.

Cage fish farming helps people have stable income.

Mr. Huynh Viet Hung, Director of the Binh Dinh Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, said that the irrigation reservoirs in the province, especially Dinh Binh Lake, have the potential to develop cage fish farming. However, the traditional farming methods of the people have not been very effective when raising fish in irrigation lakes. According to Mr. Huynh Viet Hung, the model of raising red tilapia for commercial purposes and linking product consumption helps people access modern fish farming techniques, increasing productivity:

“Commercial farming of red tilapia on Dinh Binh Lake is developing well and the survival rate is relatively high. This year, we have implemented 3 models: Cat Son Lake, Phu Cat; Nui Mot Lake, An Nhon Town; Dinh Binh Lake, Vinh Thanh. We provide technical guidance, closely follow the model regularly to help people change in the direction of technology, not the old techniques. From there, we help people gradually change to follow the process and techniques.”

Farmed fish grow well.

The agricultural sector of Binh Dinh province is building a chain of links and consumption of tilapia in Dinh Binh irrigation lake to process sashimi and export to Japan. Mai Tin Binh Dinh Company Limited (located in Nhon Hoi Economic Zone, Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province) specializes in the production and export of frozen seafood products. It has bought tilapia in Dinh Binh Lake to process into sashimi, canned and sent to Japan for partners to taste and then received positive feedback. From that positive result, the Company has coordinated with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Dinh province to build a chain of links and consumption of tilapia in Dinh Binh irrigation lake. The leaders of Binh Dinh province assigned the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to work directly with fish farmers in Dinh Binh Lake to sell tilapia to the factory of Mai Tin Binh Dinh Company Limited without intermediaries.

Source: https://vov.vn/kinh-te/hieu-qua-tu-nuoi-ca-dieu-hong-o-ho-thuy-loi-mien-nui-binh-dinh-post1132695.vov