The model of raising sea crabs in plastic boxes of Ha Vang Aquaculture Cooperative (Thach Ha Ward, Ha Tinh City, Ha Tinh Province) is considered an effective model, with high profits and quick capital recovery. This is a model of raising sea crabs using circulating water filtration technology and oxygen aeration, so it does not require much input water.

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Aquaculture Cooperative Raises 1,000 Crabs in Plastic Boxes

Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa - Director of Ha Vang Aquaculture Cooperative said that in 2021, local leaders and people went to the aquaculture area in Hai Phong city to learn about the model of raising soft-shell crabs in plastic boxes. Realizing that this is a model that brings high economic efficiency, Mr. Hoa and 6 people chose to invest in raising soft-shell crabs with the desire to get rich in their hometown.

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The finished crab weighs about 3.5 ounces/crab. Each kg is sold for 700,000 VND.

Thinking is doing, at the end of 2022, Mr. Hoa and 6 other members established Ha Vang Aquaculture Cooperative. After its establishment, the Cooperative rented more than 1 hectare of barren, abandoned land in Dong Ghe area (Thach Ha commune) from local households and invested more than 1 billion VND to "start" the business of raising soft-shell crabs.

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The circulating water filtration system ensures the water source is always clean and rich in oxygen, creating an ideal living environment for crabs to grow healthily.

"We bought 1,000 plastic boxes to raise 1,000 crabs. At first, raising crabs was difficult because the crabs were not used to the model, the system had problems and had to be constantly renovated and repaired. After a period of working and learning from experience, our model is now quite successful in the locality," said Mr. Hoa.

Mr. Hoa said that the model of raising sea crabs in boxes has the advantage of taking up little space but giving high productivity, the products ensure food safety, and do not contain drugs or antibiotics.

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Regularly check and monitor water sources to ensure crabs grow well.

"People raise crabs in ponds. Then we buy them back and raise them in plastic boxes to molt. Each time the crabs molt, their weight will double compared to normal. When the crabs start to molt, we sell them. We sell them once a month, mainly to big restaurants in Hai Phong," said Mr. Hoa.

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Molted crabs weigh twice as much as regular crabs.

Ha Vang Seafood Cooperative also said that the model of raising sea crabs in plastic boxes has many advantages over the traditional method.

"According to our assessment, this model brings economic efficiency 4-5 times higher than the traditional method. Each plastic box only raises one crab to avoid the situation of crabs biting each other. The boxes are stacked on top of each other to save space, and are numbered in order to control the raising date, crab weight, food and care process until harvest.

The characteristics of crabs are the same, but when raised in plastic boxes, the quality of crabs is different. When raising crabs in ponds, the water quality is erratic. When putting crabs in plastic boxes to raise, the water has all the minerals that crabs need, the crabs are absolutely safe, no antibiotics are used," Mr. Hoa added.

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The delegation visited the crab farming model in plastic boxes in Thach Ha ward.

According to the representative of Ha Vang Aquaculture Cooperative, the model of raising crabs in plastic boxes brings in a profit of about 1 billion VND per year. "1,000 crabs, each weighing 3.5 taels, sell an average of more than 350 kg per month. Each kg of crab is sold for 700,000 VND. After deducting all costs and losses, we make a profit of about 1 billion VND per year. Soft-shell crabs are quite expensive but are always out of stock. The amount of crabs we raise is not enough to supply restaurants in the North," the cooperative representative added.

Talking to VietNamNet reporter, Mr. Nguyen Song Han, Chairman of Thach Ha Ward People's Committee highly appreciated the soft-shell crab farming model of Ha Vang Aquaculture Cooperative.

According to Mr. Han, after a period of studying experience in provinces and cities, the commune officials returned to disseminate knowledge to the people and developed the first soft-shell crab farming model in the locality.

"From the barren rice fields that had been abandoned for many years, the cooperative rented them from local households for 20 years to raise soft-shell crabs. Each year, after deducting expenses, the cooperative earns about 1 billion VND in profit. This is a crab farming model that brings high income to the people. In the coming time, the locality will replicate this model so that people can develop a more sustainable economy," said Mr. Han.