Nghe An successfully produces whiteleg shrimp broodstock.

(Baonghean) - Good news for shrimp farmers in Nghe An: In mid-April, in Quynh Lien commune (Hoang Mai town), Mr. Nguyen Hong Cuong's shrimp hatchery officially announced the successful production of whiteleg shrimp larvae; and to date, it has sold more than 15 million larvae to shrimp farmers in the region.

It's encouraging because, since 2010, whiteleg shrimp has been the first choice for shrimp farmers in Nghe An province due to its high yield (tens of tons/hectare), short farming season, and avoidance of disease outbreaks. The province cultivates over 1,300 hectares of whiteleg shrimp ponds per season, requiring 1.3 billion shrimp larvae annually. However, this rapid expansion, coupled with a lack of control over the quality of the larvae, has led to difficulties for farmers for many years. For example, in the first season of 2014, nearly 90% of the shrimp farming area in Quynh Luu district suffered losses because the quality of the larvae had to be imported from other provinces. This resulted in poor health of the larvae, stunted growth, and overall losses for the farmers.

Inspecting shrimp larvae in Quynh Lien commune (Quynh Luu district).

Nguyen Hong Cuong's hatchery has successfully produced whiteleg shrimp larvae, opening up a new direction for shrimp breeding in the locality. The current demand for whiteleg shrimp larvae in the area is very high, and Cuong's production facility cannot meet it all. This model clearly needs to be replicated.

Some experts believe that Nghe An currently has over 50 black tiger shrimp hatcheries. The relevant authorities need to inspect and classify those that meet the requirements, encouraging them to switch to whiteleg shrimp hatchery production. This should be accompanied by incentive mechanisms. Currently, support for shrimp hatcheries is provided according to Decision 09 of the Provincial People's Committee issued on February 4, 2012 (black tiger shrimp hatcheries receive a maximum support of 100 million VND per hatchery). However, producing whiteleg shrimp requires a very large capital investment, up to several billion VND. In addition to the support under Decision 09 of the Provincial People's Committee, other policies and mechanisms should be implemented to help hatcheries successfully transition, leading to more whiteleg shrimp hatcheries. This will help farmers be more proactive in farming and reduce risks related to shrimp fry that could result in losses.

Shrimp hatchery in Quynh Lien commune (Quynh Luu district)

Here is the model of Mr. Nguyen Hong Cuong for shrimp hatcheries to refer to: At the end of 2014, Mr. Cuong signed an agreement with a joint-stock company to receive technology transfer; at the same time, he invested 3 billion VND to renovate and upgrade his shrimp hatchery. According to Mr. Cuong, the most expensive part was investing in building the broodstock shrimp house. Unlike tiger shrimp, whiteleg shrimp only adapt to ambient temperatures of around 30°C; temperatures lower or higher than 30°C greatly affect the shrimp's reproduction process. In Nghe An, the temperature fluctuation between seasons can reach several tens of degrees; to overcome this, in winter, the temperature must be raised using steam, and in summer, air conditioning must be used to reduce the temperature inside the hatchery. Because of the need to install a high-capacity air conditioning system, the investment cost for the broodstock shrimp house at Mr. Cuong's farm was over 1.5 billion VND. After renovating the facilities, in early 2015 the farm imported 250 pairs of broodstock shrimp from Thailand at a price of 96 USD/pair; along with that, two experts (one to care for the broodstock, one to breed and care for the young shrimp) were contracted to prepare for the shrimp breeding season. To feed the broodstock shrimp, the farm spends no less than 6 million VND per day on feed.

An indispensable part of the diet of broodstock shrimp is sea worms – organisms belonging to the worm family (without this food, female shrimp will not lay eggs). These sea worms only live in the South Central coastal region. To ensure the food is fresh, it is transported daily by air from Cam Ranh Airport to Noi Bai Airport, then from Noi Bai Airport to a bus station in Hanoi, and from there to Hoang Mai. The transportation time must be as fast as possible to ensure the food remains fresh; dead worms will not be eaten by the shrimp.

After stabilizing the shrimp population, in late March, Mr. Cuong's shrimp hatchery began experimental breeding. According to Mr. Tran Van Tinh, a shrimp breeding expert, the climate conditions in Nghe An are more challenging than in the South due to the large temperature fluctuations between seasons. Therefore, strict temperature control is crucial.

Currently, in addition to the 15 million whiteleg shrimp larvae already supplied to aquaculture farms, Mr. Cuong's shrimp hatchery is raising over 28 million post-larvae of various types and is continuing to breed them. Upon hearing that Mr. Cuong's hatchery was producing whiteleg shrimp larvae, many shrimp farmers in the area visited and placed orders, as they could see the hatchery's production process firsthand. Furthermore, monitoring the number of households that stocked the hatchery's shrimp showed that they were healthy and grew very quickly. This year, Mr. Cuong's hatchery plans to import another batch of whiteleg shrimp broodstock, approximately 300 pairs, producing around 60 million larvae to meet the needs of local shrimp farmers.

Text and photos:Mr. Tuan