QUANG NINH Realizing the value of ocean oysters, Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong determined to invest in a modern system for processing and preservation, thereby elevating the local specialty.
QUANG NINH Realizing the value of ocean oysters, Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong determined to invest in a modern system for processing and preservation, thereby elevating the local specialty.
Starting a business from ocean oysters
For a long time, in the estuary of Quang Yen town, oyster farming has provided a livelihood for many people. Walking along the estuary, everywhere you can see rafts lying close together, stretching far and wide.
Ocean oysters raised in the Quang Yen estuary have a special delicious flavor that is rarely found anywhere else. Photo: Thanh Phuong.
As a son of Quang Yen, after a long time working in all kinds of jobs and traveling everywhere, Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong decided to return to his hometown and start a business with ocean oysters. Sharing about his decision at that time, Mr. Cuong recalled:
“Before, I worked in tourism and import-export, then I returned to Quang Yen to raise oysters. The water source here is a mixture of many streams, very suitable for ocean oysters. Ocean oysters raised in Quang Yen have a delicious flavor that is hard to find anywhere else.”
So, in 2021, Mr. Cuong started to do it, initially doing small-scale experiments on some rafts. Then, when he saw good results, he expanded the scale, at the same time providing breeds to people and then buying back commercial oysters.
“I have always wanted to create more jobs and help farmers earn more income to cover their living expenses. Besides, if I raise them alone, it will be difficult to manage when expanding the scale. If people work together, there will be enough supply,” Mr. Cuong shared.
According to Mr. Cuong, oysters are bivalve mollusks whose main food source is plankton, unicellular algae and organic matter in the water. The oyster farming process is very simple, farmers only need to monitor to ensure that harmful organisms and mud do not stick to the oysters and affect the growth process.
Workers are processing oysters before putting them in an ozone tank for disinfection. Photo: Thanh Phuong.
Ocean oysters are very suitable for brackish water in estuaries with salinity from 10 to 18 parts per thousand. The oyster farming time is about 8-10 months, especially some oysters raised within 18 months will weigh up to about 1 kg/each.
Elevating local specialties
From the very first days of exporting oysters to domestic and foreign markets, there was one thing that always worried Mr. Cuong: "Exporting raw like this is very risky, especially when the harvest is good, the price drops". Especially during the Covid pandemic, exports were delayed, goods were stagnant, affecting the income of oyster farmers.
“I thought I needed to be more proactive by processing this oyster, both to preserve its nutritional value during transportation and to increase its value. At that time, I saved up and borrowed 3 billion VND to expand the processing workshop and research processing and preservation methods,” said Mr. Cuong.
After being brought back, oysters must be fresh and live, then processed by workers to separate the intestines and wash, filter out sand and dirt. Next, the oyster intestines are passed through an ozone tank to kill bacteria and separate some heavy metals found in the natural environment.
After being removed from the tank, the oysters are put into a cold room to drain and then canned using a semi-automatic air-blown tray packing machine with MAP advanced gas technology. This technology will help change the air composition inside the packaging with a mixture of N2, CO2, O2 gases customized for each type of food to maintain freshness and extend storage time.
Oysters are canned and preserved using MAP technology. Photo: Thanh Phuong.
With MAP technology, in the first 7 days, the oyster intestines will be cooled at a temperature of 0-4 degrees Celsius, the quality will then be as fresh as when harvested. After that, the product is frozen at a temperature of -18 degrees Celsius. The storage time is 6 months.
Up to now, after 3 years of applying modern technology in processing and preservation, Mr. Cuong's ocean oyster products have been available in all supermarket systems and restaurants across the country and have received positive feedback from users. It is estimated that each month, Mr. Cuong exports to the market 50-100 tons of oysters in the shell and 10 tons of oysters with intestines.
“Along with the growth and development of the company, I always focus on creating more jobs for farmers in the area. Currently, the company is creating jobs for 15-20 regular workers, in addition, at each time it can recruit dozens of seasonal workers with an income of 300,000 - 400,000 VND per product”, Mr. Cuong informed.
With his dynamism, creativity and determination, Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong has successfully raised the level and given wings to local products to “fly high and far”. Mr. Cuong’s spirit and determination will be a source of motivation, encouraging generations of young people in the whole area to boldly start their own businesses to contribute to the development and growth of their homeland Quang Yen.
Source: https://nongsanviet.nongnghiep.vn/manh-tay-chi-tien-ty-quyet-tam-nang-tam-dac-san-dia-phuong-d409038.html
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