Fish enthusiasts from Chua Sang

(Baonghean) - “We must learn and apply scientific and technical knowledge from books, newspapers, and documents, and more importantly, we must have passion to succeed. Nowadays, media and print media have many programs and documents about livestock farming techniques. Whatever animal we raise, we should diligently collect and read documents about that animal to understand its characteristics. Only when we have a firm grasp of the techniques should we decide to invest; we shouldn't rush into it...”

In the sweltering late afternoon summer sun, we followed the newly widened rural road, built according to the New Rural Development criteria, to the fish farm of Mr. Tan Quy Cu in the Chua Sang rice fields of Chau Linh hamlet (Duc Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district). From inside a cramped, makeshift two-room house next to the pond, a man of average height emerged, his face dark, gaunt, and his mustache sparse. He was Tan Quy Cu, the owner of this fish farm. Moving a rickety bamboo bed to the shade in front of the house, Mr. Cu began to tell the story of his life as a fish farmer. In his story, he recounted his struggles, setbacks, and subsequent rise to achieve what he has today...

Mr. Cu stands beside his pond where he raises monosex tilapia.

He was originally a worker at Song Hieu Company, tasked with protecting and exploiting forests. After returning home, he worked odd jobs everywhere, including as a contractor for residential construction projects, but ended up with nothing. One day, he discussed with his wife the idea of ​​using their leased rice paddies to combine rice cultivation with fish farming. With his wife's agreement, in 2004, he decided to convert 9 acres of leased rice paddies in the Chua Sang area to rice-fish farming. The Chua Sang area had the advantage of using water from the irrigation canal, so the water level in the fields was always regulated appropriately, which was very favorable for rice-fish farming. During the fish farming process, he diligently watched television, read books and newspapers, and other documents, so the fish grew quickly and the rice crop was also bountiful.

Seeing that Mr. Cu was good at raising fish, the local government facilitated his digging of fish ponds, aiming to establish a model for the area. On those 9 sao (approximately 0.9 hectares) of land, he dug two ponds: one 7 sao (approximately 0.7 hectares) pond for raising commercial fish, and another pond, over 1 sao (approximately 0.1 hectares), for breeding fish fry. He used the remaining land to build a temporary shed for living and a system for raising pigs, chickens, and ducks. In those years, he raised traditional fish species; although the profit wasn't high, he had enough to live on. Then, in 2008, he saw on television that farmers in northern provinces were investing in raising monosex tilapia, which yielded high economic returns. He was very impressed, but realizing that doing it like them was not easy, because intensive fish farming required the application of the correct techniques.

At night, he constantly thought about raising monosex tilapia. Seeing his anxieties, his wife, Pham Thi Nguyet, wholeheartedly supported him. "Seeing is believing," he said, and he traveled to the North to visit famous monosex tilapia farming models to learn from their practical experience. After mastering the techniques of raising monosex tilapia, he returned and adjusted the entire fish pond system accordingly. The fish fry, however, proved to be a real struggle for him, resulting in numerous failures. Initially, he went to Thailand and Laos to buy monosex tilapia fry, but it was ineffective due to the long distances and unreliable transportation. Later, he went to northern provinces to find fish hatcheries to order from, but only the Research Institute for Aquaculture I (Bac Ninh) guaranteed quality – specifically, the Duong Nghiep monosex tilapia from the Philippines.

Tilapia.

With a pond surface area of ​​3,500 m2, Mr. Cu ensures that each batch of fish raised at 15,000 is done according to proper techniques. From 2009 to the present, Mr. Cu has personally traveled to Bac Ninh twice a year to buy fish fry for breeding. Mr. Cu said: The fish fry are raised for about a month in a nursery pond system. When the fish reach a weight of about 250-300 fish per kilogram, they are transferred to the main pond. The fish farming pond system must also be treated very carefully, otherwise the fish cannot survive. This is done by, after harvesting a batch of fish, draining the water, and sprinkling lime powder on the bottom of the pond (25 kg of lime powder per 1000 m2), or using chemicals to kill weeds. After a few days, apply manure, urea fertilizer, and phosphorus fertilizer to the bottom of the pond. Leave the pond bottom to dry for two days, then fill it with water to a depth of about 20-30 cm. Afterward, apply a coloring chemical or Trung Viet ecological product, soak for two days, then fill the pond with water to about two-thirds full. After another two to three days, fill the pond to the required water level. Wait until the water turns a light green color before stocking the fish. During the rearing process, daily monitoring of water color and fish behavior is necessary for appropriate action. If the water is cloudy, has a fishy smell, and the fish are floating near the surface, it indicates insufficient oxygen. In such cases, immediate treatment is required, such as applying urea fertilizer; otherwise, the fish will die. For him, daily routine involves walking around the pond every morning and evening to observe the water color and the fish's condition before he can feel at ease.

Mr. Cu boasted that a batch of 20,000 fish fry costs about 3.5 million VND, with a mortality rate of about 30% during the breeding and rearing process. After 4-5 months of rearing, the fish reach a weight of 400-500 grams each, yielding 3-4 tons of marketable fish. Selling at 25,000-30,000 VND/kg locally, this brings in about 120 million VND. After deducting all expenses, including fry and feed (about 60%), the profit is 40%. Thus, after one batch of fish, Mr. Cu and his wife earn a profit of about 50 million VND. In a year, excluding pond preparation time, he raises two batches of fish for guaranteed profit. When the fish are ready for harvest, traders from Nghia Dan, Dien Chau, and Thai Hoa drive their cars to the farm, drain the pond, and buy all the fish for sale. He keeps all the profit because, in addition to fish farming, he and his wife also raise laying ducks and pigeons. Ms. Pham Thi Nguyet confided: "Every day, 300 laying ducks produce over 200 eggs, which brings in tens of thousands of dong in profit from sales. Plus, with nearly 50 pairs of pigeons, selling one pair of breeding pigeons each day brings in 80,000 dong. In total, the money earned from ducks and pigeons is enough to cover our daily expenses, as our children have their own families."

Mr. Cu confided: “To have a fish farm like this, I had to sell off many of my family's assets. Before deciding to start this business, I took a gamble and sold a buffalo, a cow, and a plot of land to invest here. Back then, buffaloes and cows were valuable assets for farmers. Even that wasn't enough, so I had to borrow another 80 million dong from the bank, relatives, and friends. I know my wife didn't quite agree, but she still encouraged me, giving me more motivation. To this day, my investment has not been in vain…” The benefits for Mr. and Mrs. Cu are not only for themselves, but more importantly, they have guided their children towards a new way of doing business, with their own unique approach.

With accumulated savings over the years, Mr. and Mrs. Cự were able to help their children invest in their businesses. At the end of 2013, when the commune implemented a land conversion program from small plots to larger ones, their two children, Tần Quý Bang and his daughter Tần Thị Năm, bid for and each received 3 acres of poor-quality land in the Chùa Sàng rice field, about 200 meters from Mr. Cự's fish farm, to invest in digging ponds and raising fish, following his model. From a land where rice couldn't even grow reeds, each of Mr. Cự's children invested no less than 300 million VND, hiring excavators to dig ponds and build embankments… now they have formed a system of ponds and lakes, meeting the requirements for raising single-sex tilapia. Thus, Mr. and Mrs. Cự have revitalized the Chùa Sàng rice field with their passion and determination. Before long, in this Chùa Sàng rice paddy area, Mr. Cự and his sons will be supplying the market with a considerable amount of food made from monosex tilapia every year.

When asked about his experience in fish farming, Mr. Cu confided: "No matter what you raise, you have to research and apply scientific and technical knowledge from books, newspapers, and documents. More importantly, you need passion to succeed. Nowadays, media and print media have many programs and documents about farming techniques. Whatever animal you raise, you should diligently collect and read documents about that animal to understand its characteristics. Only when you have a firm grasp of the techniques should you decide to invest; don't rush... Therefore, my cabinet now contains many documents related to raising fish, ducks, and pigeons. Tilapia are monosex, easy to raise, large in size, with a small head, high meat yield, delicious and nutritious meat, so they are easy to sell on the market."

It was already dark by the time we said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Cu. The image of an old farmer with a passion for fish farming, who dared to think outside the box and take action, remains vividly etched in my memory – a prime example of economic development in Duc Thanh commune!

Text and photos:Xuan Hoang