Dien Chau: Harvesting more than 100 tons of shrimp crop 3 to serve Tet holiday

(Baonghean.vn) - Starting from the beginning of October 2016, during the Lunar New Year, shrimp farmers in Dien Chau harvested the third crop of shrimp with high economic efficiency.

Nguyen Cuong's family is one of the households with a large shrimp farming area for the third crop in Hamlet 6, Dien Trung Commune, Dien Chau District, with nearly 2 hectares, divided into 4 ponds. His family planted the seeds in October and began harvesting for sale during Tet. Every day, traders from all over come to buy.

Due to difficult farming conditions, the annual yield of the third crop of shrimp is only 3.5 tons/ha. However, this year the weather is more favorable. The yield of the third crop of shrimp this year is higher, estimated at 5 tons/ha. With 2 hectares of shrimp, Mr. Cuong's family harvested over 10 tons of shrimp.

Harvesting shrimp crop 3 at Mr. Nguyen Cuong's family, hamlet 6, Dien Trung, Dien Chau. Photo: Quang An.

As for the family of Mr. Nguyen Van Dong, hamlet 6, Dien Trung commune, another household raising shrimp in the third crop, said: "This year, my family raises more than 1 hectare of shrimp in the third crop, with a capital investment of more than 400 million VND. The harvest time is outside the Lunar New Year, but some households often sell during Tet because of the good price. Shrimp in the third crop is very popular and is favored by the market."

Dien Trung is the locality that boldly raises shrimp in the third crop, leading Dien Chau district with 20 hectares, accounting for 50% of the shrimp area in the third crop of the whole district. Of the 86 households that raise shrimp every year, 42 households are determined to follow this crop. Up to now, households have harvested to sell during Tet. The total shrimp output of the commune is estimated at about 100 tons of shrimp, worth approximately 15 billion VND.

Shrimp of the third crop has firm meat, clean farming process, is favored by the market and has high price during Tet. Photo: Quang An

Every year, the third crop of shrimp has a high price because it is a long-term crop, requires careful care and is mainly sold during Tet, ranging from 170,000 VND - 220,000 VND/kg. However, this year, the selling price at the shrimp farm has dropped to only 150,000 VND/kg and is considered unlikely to increase even though it is close to Tet.

Some traders said that the shrimp supply this year is very abundant, especially the amount of shrimp from the South has increased dramatically, this year's weather is more favorable than previous years for raising shrimp for the third crop. Therefore, shrimp pond owners have a large amount of shrimp to export to the market. According to traders' predictions, shrimp prices will increase after January.

In many places, shrimp are only raised twice a year, but in Dien Chau, people cultivate up to three times a year. In the third crop this year, the whole district raised 37 hectares of shrimp with about 25 million white-leg shrimp. The shrimp area for the third crop is mainly concentrated in the communes of Dien Trung, Dien Kim and Dien Thinh.

Dien Trung shrimp farmers harvest the third crop of shrimp. Photo: Mai Giang

Shrimp farming in the third crop is more difficult due to unfavorable weather conditions, so it requires high technical requirements. In addition to stocking at a lower density than the main crop, farmers pay attention to care, especially periodic probiotic treatment and nutritional supplements to increase shrimp resistance. In particular, this crop, many shrimp farmers apply new farming technology, which is to build underground filtration systems to ensure water supply and limit diseases.

Shrimp are purchased by traders right at the pond at high prices. Photo: Mai Giang

The Lunar New Year is the main time to harvest the third crop of shrimp. Accordingly, farmers supply more than 100 tons of shrimp to the market before, during and after the Lunar New Year. On average, each hectare yields nearly 3 tons. With seafood prices, especially shrimp prices, increasing during the Tet holiday, from 200,000 to 220,000 VND/kg, 40% higher than normal months, each hectare of shrimp in the third crop yields up to 400 million VND.

Quang An - Mai Giang