Earn 500-600 million VND profit per year from shrimp farming

Mr. Tran Van Chi, born in 1980, in hamlet 14, Quang Thien commune (Kim Son) is known by many people as a good example of production and business with a model of raising white-leg shrimp and freshwater fish, bringing in an income of hundreds of millions of dong each year.

Mr. Tran Van Chi spent many years raising shrimp in Ca Mau province. However, he always cherished the plan to get rich on his homeland. After a long time of thinking, he decided to return to his hometown to start a business. Through many field surveys, Mr. Chi realized that the soil quality and water source here are suitable for a large-scale aquaculture model, bringing high economic efficiency. In 2016, Mr. Chi boldly borrowed capital to bid for 5 hectares of rice fields of the commune, which were previously ineffective low-lying rice fields, to switch to building a model of raising shrimp and freshwater fish.

In the early years of shrimp farming, due to lack of technical knowledge, limited capital, and high risk because of not choosing suitable and quality shrimp breeds. In addition, diseases occurred continuously, while treatment drugs and poor quality feed sources affected shrimp productivity, so he failed and suffered losses many times. However, not discouraged by difficulties and challenges, Mr. Chi was determined not to give up.

He actively sought out successful shrimp farming models in and outside the province such as Nam Dinh and Thanh Hoa to learn and gain experience. At the same time, he participated in local shrimp farming technical training courses. After carefully preparing his knowledge, he continued to implement the model.

On the 5 hectares of rice fields that had been previously bid, Mr. Chi rented 5 more hectares of rice fields from other households, started to zone off, dig ponds, build banks to release fish and raise white-leg shrimp. All stages in the farming process were carried out by him in a methodical and scientific manner. Thanks to his mastery of techniques, careful selection of food sources and breeds, and his constant learning and accumulation of experience during the farming process, he was continuously successful in the following years.

Currently, his family owns 9 ponds for raising shrimp and grass carp, with a total area of about 36,000 m2. Each year, he raises 3 shrimp crops, about 600,000 shrimp seeds, harvesting 12-15 tons of commercial shrimp. Commercial shrimp are often purchased at home by traders at a price of 100-130 thousand VND/kg, depending on the size of 60-80 shrimp/kg. Total revenue from shrimp and fish is from 1.5-2 billion VND/year. After deducting expenses, his family earns a profit of 500-600 million VND/year.

Sharing the secret to success, Mr. Chi said: Learning from failures, I pay special attention to choosing breeds from reputable establishments to ensure quality, breed size from P12 and above and stocking density of 40 fish/m2. The pond environment is also always well treated. According to the technique, I dig ponds with a depth of 1-1.2m, each pond has an area of 1,000-2,500m2. I remove waste and sprinkle lime powder on the bottom of the pond to disinfect. I invest in installing a pipeline system to get water from an unpolluted place, before putting it into the pond, I remove waste through a filter, then detoxify and disinfect to treat pathogens. Every week, I check the pond water to adjust the appropriate PH and alkalinity. To provide oxygen to the pond, I use an aerator system and a water circulation fan. In addition, I always keep the water environment stable to avoid shocking the shrimp, thereby increasing the survival rate.

Depending on each stage of growth and development of the shrimp, I provide appropriate food and nutrition. Every day, I feed the shrimp 3 meals with food of clear origin and guaranteed quality, and at the same time observe the color and activities of the shrimp to promptly detect and handle signs of disease. Whiteleg shrimp have good disease prevention ability, but need to supplement vitamins and trace minerals to keep the shrimp healthy and reduce the risk of disease.

In addition, I regularly apply new technology to the shrimp farming process such as: Using microbial products to supplement beneficial bacteria, inhibit harmful bacteria in water, with the aim of accelerating the decomposition of organic matter in mud, and the process of converting waste and leftover food into beneficial microorganisms. This will maximize the use of leftover food, while reducing toxic gases in water, reducing the use of drugs and chemicals in the farming process, helping to keep the water environment stable. As a result, farmed shrimp have a fast growth rate, beautiful color, high resistance and survival rate, and no diseases. Creating safe quality commercial shrimp.

Earning profit from 500-600 million VND per year from shrimp farming — Mr. Tran Van Chi checks farmed shrimp to promptly detect and treat diseases.

In addition to raising shrimp and fish, Mr. Chi's family also opened a store to supply seeds, food, and aquatic medicine, both for family use and to support local shrimp farmers. Not only does he enrich his family, Mr. Chi also creates jobs for 5 regular workers with an income of about 5 million VND/month and dozens of seasonal workers with an income of 400,000 VND/day.

Comrade Tran Van Kho, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Quang Thien commune, shared: Mr. Tran Van Chi is an example of a hardworking, creative farmer who dares to think, dares to do, is good at production and business in the commune, and has been commended many times by all levels and sectors.

Not only developing the family economy, Mr. Chi also actively shares experiences and guides farmers to participate in economic development and improve their lives. Currently, in the commune, there are more than 20 models of learning and following, which have helped many households escape poverty and become rich legitimately.

Article and photos: Thuy Lam

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