ĐỒNG NAI – The Đồng Nai Province People’s Committee has approved a detailed zoning plan for a 700ha concentrated aquaculture area that will use advanced techniques in Nhơn Trạch District.

Most of the area will be devoted to breeding brackish water shrimp and oyster.

The cost of infrastructure will be more than VNĐ226 billion (US$9.9 million), with the money coming from the Government and other sources.

The facility will develop the district’s aquaculture in a safe and sustainable manner, increase its value and farmers’ incomes, and protect the environment, according to the People’s Committee.

Each sub-area for breeding shrimp will be at least 50ha and use sophisticated techniques and farming models like super-intensive farming.

Hi-tech farming

The south-eastern province has 32,000ha of water surface used for aquaculture, including 2,000ha of brackish water in Nhơn Trạch and Long Thành districts.

Brackish water shrimp is one of its key seafood exports.

To sustainably develop, many farmers in the province have switched from traditional farming to modern techniques in recent years.

Nguyễn Văn Nhân, deputy head of the Nhơn Trạch Economic Bureau, said the use of anti-sunshine nets to cover shrimp ponds and plastic sheets on pond beds has become popular in the district.

The area of shrimp farms using them has increased from 10ha in 2015 to 56ha this year, he said.

Nguyễn Văn Hùng, one of the first farmers in Nhơn Trạch’s Long Thọ Commune to switch from traditional to advanced farming techniques, said the model has proved effective since it helps farmers control the quality of water, thus reducing disease risks.

“This model has attracted many farmers.”

Besides shrimp, the province also has many areas in Định Quán and Trảng Bom districts and Biên Hòa City farming freshwater fish like snake-head and anabas.

Last year it established four aquaculture areas applying Vietnamese good agricultural practice (VietGAP) standards in Tân Phú, Định Quán, Vĩnh Cửu and Nhơn Trạch districts. They farm blue-legged prawn, white-legged shrimp, tra fish and snakehead fish, and anabas.

This year it will develop four more in Định Quán, Tân Phú, Vĩnh Cửu, and Xuân Lộc districts, according to the Fisheries Sub-department. 

Last year the fisheries sector produced nearly 58,000 tonnes, 51,000 tonnes from aquaculture and 7,000 tonnes from fishing, according to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.    

The value of the output was VNĐ1.9 trillion ($83 million), a 6.5 per cent rise from 2016. – VNS