Producing shrimp seeds in the An Hải concentrated aquatic seed production area in Ninh Thuận Province’s Ninh Phước District. – VNA/VNS Photo Công Thử

NINH THUẬN – The south – central province of Ninh Thuận targets becoming Việt Nam's centre for high-quality shrimp seed production by 2030.

The coastal province has already attracted many large companies and groups that have invested in concentrated aquatic seed production areas.

Nguyễn Khắc Lâm, deputy director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that three concentrated areas produce aquatic seeds with a combined area of 265ha.

The 125-ha An Hải in Ninh Phước District is the province’s largest concentrated aquatic seed production area, followed by the 100-ha Nhơn Hải area in Ninh Hải District.  

The Nhơn Hải area has the largest production scale and aquatic seed output in the province.

The 40-ha Sơn Hải area is zoned for producing disease – free parent shrimp that produce shrimp seeds for breeding. It is the country’s only concentrated area that produces parent shrimp.

Shrimp seed is one of the province’s 12 specifically identified agricultural products. It has received high marks for quality from other provinces and cities.

The production of shrimp seeds has increased year by year and has exceeded the target each year, according to the department. The province produced 42.6 billion shrimp seeds last year, up 4.1 times against 2010. 

The province supplies about 35 per cent of the country’s shrimp seed demand. “The province sells the remaining shrimp seed output to provinces and cities nationwide,” he said.

The province accounts for only 5 – 10 per cent of its shrimp seed output. The black-tiger shrimp seeds are sold mostly to the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta, while its white - legged shrimp seeds are sold mostly to coastal provinces and cities.

The shrimp seeds are strictly inspected for disease before they are sold to other provinces and cities. 

Seed production plan

Under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s plan to develop the shrimp industry to 2030, the country will have to produce 250 – 300 billion shrimp seeds a year by 2030, according to the ministry’s Directorate of Fisheries.

Under the plan, Ninh Thuận alone will have to produce 50 – 60 billion shrimp seeds.

With its investment in shrimp breeding infrastructure and the use of advanced techniques by shrimp-seed producing companies, the province plans to gradually restructure production and increase the quality and output of shrimp seeds.

The province aims to have 10 per cent of each of its shrimp seed production establishments producing 500 million seeds a year by 2025.

It targets producing a total of 50 billion high-quality shrimp seeds by 2025 and 60 billion high-quality shrimp seeds by 2030.

The goal is to have all seed production establishments inspected for disease safety by 2030.

It also targets having enough parent shrimp to produce seeds for black tiger shrimp and white - legged shrimp, two major shrimp varieties bred in the country.

Võ Văn Nha, deputy head of the ministry’s Aquaculture Research Institute No 3, said the targets of 50 – 60 billion shrimp seeds a year in the 2025 – 30 period is feasible.

“The important thing is that the province should give priority to investing in infrastructure and restructuring shrimp seed production establishments, and use advanced techniques and protect the environment,” he said.

Ninh Thuận has 450 shrimp seed production establishments, accounting for more than 22 per cent of such establishments in the country, according to the Directorate of Fisheries.

However, the number of small and medium – size establishments accounts for up to 80 per cent of the province’s total shrimp seed production establishments.

The use of advanced techniques is still low, while high-quality parent shrimp must be imported.

To meet the targets, the provincial People’s Committee has told the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to invest in infrastructure for the three concentrated aquatic seed production areas.

It also told the department to invest in infrastructure in the 125-ha An Hải concentrated aquatic seed production area and to expand the area to more than 200ha.

The plan, which will invest VNĐ189 billion (US$8.2 million) in An Hải, is expected to attract companies with sufficient financial and technological capacity to invest in areas producing high-quality aquatic seeds.

The department is also planning to upgrade the Nhơn Hải concentrated aquatic seed production area. The plan, which will cost about VNĐ155 billion ($6.7 million), will invest in infrastructure for transport, electricity and water supply, and waste water treatment.

The province also aims to improve the State's management of the quality of aquatic seeds and services related to aquatic seed production, and will strengthen co-operation among stakeholders in aquatic seed production and promote markets for aquatic seeds. – VNS