Farmers in Phu Thien district increase income thanks to aquaculture

Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan (sitting; Nam Ha village, Ia Ake commune, Phu Thien district) has converted 2 sao of rice-growing land to fish farming, bringing economic efficiency. Photo: Dinh Yen

Over the past years, Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan (Nam Ha village, Ia Ake commune, Phu Thien district) has successfully converted 2 sao of rice growing area to fish breeding. Mr. Tuan and his wife are from Ninh Binh, and have been working on Ia Ake land since 2000. At that time, he bought 7 sao of land to grow rice.

"Wet rice farming only provides enough food, and the family's economy is very difficult. Therefore, in 2005, after learning how to raise fish such as grass carp, hybrid carp... from a friend in my hometown, I boldly dug a pond to raise fish" - Mr. Tuan said.

The fish fry are suitable for the climate and water source of Ia Ake, so they yield high yields. With 400 kg of fish fry per 2 sao of water surface area, the average selling price is 150,000 VND/kg, his family earns more than 10 million VND after deducting expenses, 3 times more profit than growing rice on the same area.

“Every year, my family harvests two fish fry, earning nearly 30 million VND. Along with that, we also grow 1 hectare of cashew, 7 sao of rice and raise 4 sows. After deducting expenses, my family still makes a profit of more than 100 million VND,” said Mr. Tuan.

To increase the economic value of the water surface area and improve people's income, in October 2024, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Phu Thien district (old) deployed a model of raising black carp in small ponds with a total area of ​​7,500 ^m2 , with 3,825 fish supporting 3 households: Tran Van Son (Ia Yeng commune), Hoang Anh Tuan (Ia Ake commune) and Nguyen Van Huy (Ia Sol commune).

The model is supported by the State with 210 million VND, the remaining 202 million VND is contributed by the people. Implementation time is 1 year (from September 2024 to September 2025).

Mr. Tran Van Son (white shirt) deploys a black carp farming model on an area of ​​3 sao of water surface. Photo: Dinh Yen

As one of the three households participating in the model, Mr. Tran Van Son said: My family has an area of ​​3 sao of water surface. Before, I only raised grass carp, silver carp and tilapia, with low income.

In September 2024, with support from the locality, my family and 2 other households pooled capital and switched to raising black carp under the guidance of agricultural technicians. After 6 months, the fish now weigh 0.8-1 kg.

“Currently, my family is raising more than 1,500 black carp. It is expected that in 1 year, when the fish grow to about 1.8-2 kg/fish, I will harvest about 1.8 tons of fish per year. With the current market price (fluctuating from 140-160 thousand VND/kg), my family will make a profit of more than 120 million VND" - Mr. Son calculated.

According to households, black carp are easy to care for and can take advantage of available foods such as snails, cassava leaves, agricultural by-products and industrial bran to raise them, thus reducing many costs.

From the initial results, Phu Thien district regularly organizes training courses on black carp farming techniques as well as fish breeding techniques, care and disease prevention, and instructions on how to select breeds and harvest properly.

At the same time, create conditions for households to access preferential loans from the Social Policy Bank, support livestock and initial food for households to replicate the model.

Mr. Mai Ngoc Quy - Deputy Head of the District's Department of Agriculture and Environment - said: "The black carp farming model being implemented for 3 households in 3 communes has initially brought positive results, contributing to increasing income and improving people's lives.

In the coming time, the Department will continue to mobilize households to expand water surface area, replicate models, and form fish farming cooperatives to increase the ability to link production and product consumption.

In addition to taking advantage of natural water resources, many households also apply scientific and technical advances in aquaculture such as: using high-quality fish breeds, feeding with industrial feed and preventing fish diseases with biological measures. Thanks to that, the productivity and output of aquatic products are increasingly improved, meeting the consumption needs in and outside the district.

Many households in Phu Thien also apply technical advances in aquaculture, bringing in high income. Photo: Dinh Yen

According to the Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Phu Thien district, the district currently has over 200 aquaculture households with a total water surface area of ​​over 340 hectares. The types of aquatic products commonly raised by people are grass carp, common carp, tilapia and giant freshwater prawn. Many households also invest in raising specialty fish species such as catfish and black carp, which bring high economic value.

“The development of aquaculture not only helps people improve their income but also creates jobs for local workers. In the coming time, we will continue to expand the models of raising specialty fish and guide people to apply technical advances to improve productivity and product quality," Mr. Quy added.

With obvious effectiveness, the aquaculture model is becoming a new direction in the restructuring of the agricultural economy in Phu Thien, actively contributing to poverty reduction and new rural construction in the locality.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/nong-dan-huyen-phu-thien-nang-cao-thu-nhap-nho-nuoi-trong-thuy-san-post319649.html