Farmers in Nghe An province who raise cartilaginous eels sell everything they have.

The cartilaginous eel farm of Mr. Ho Ngoc Thang's family in Hamlet 3, Quynh Doi Commune, Quynh Luu District. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Following the concrete road through the fields of Quynh Doi commune, we arrived at the fish ponds and lagoons.cartilaginous eelof local farmers who have invested in intensive farming.

Mr. Ho Ngoc Thang, the owner of a pond for raising cartilaginous eels in Hamlet 3, happily stated that his pond covers an area of ​​3,000 square meters.²He has been investing in raising cartilaginous eels for over a year now, and each batch has yielded high productivity, with a good market. Currently, he has released 750,000 fingerlings, which have been raised for 50 days and weigh approximately 120 eels per kilogram. At this rate, he estimates that in about 30 more days, they will reach 40 eels per kilogram and be ready for sale.

"For a long time, the selling price of commercially farmed cartilaginous eels has been between 75,000 and 80,000 VND/kg, but it still hasn't met the demand."market"Whenever it's time to harvest eels, traders from the northern provinces come to buy them, and we sell everything we have. Recently, some restaurants in Vinh City and the mountainous districts of Nghe An have also placed orders," shared Mr. Ho Ngoc Thang.

Cartilaginous eels raised in intensive farming will be ready for harvest after 3 months. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Also in that same field is the family of Mr. Ho Trung Duc, which raises cartilaginous eels, with an area of ​​1,000 square meters.²on the water surface. Mr. Duc was the first person in Quynh Doi commune to commercially raise cartilaginous eels. Therefore, when discussing the advantages and disadvantages of intensive eel farming with us, Mr. Duc said that the eel farming process is similar to shrimp farming, requiring the treatment of disease-free water sources and the use of water aerators in the pond to provide sufficient oxygen.

The advantages of the cartilaginous eel are that it is easy to raise, less susceptible to disease, and has a high survival rate; the disadvantages are that they eat a lot, consume a lot of food, and there is no source of breeding stock in the province, so they have to be purchased from northern provinces at a high price.

"Although sold at prices ranging from 75,000 to 80,000 VND/kg, due to high input costs, the profit is only about one-third. For 1,000m²², if raised at the correct density of over 200 fish/m²²"Each batch can yield about 4-5 tons of marketable eels. After deducting expenses, the profit is over 100 million VND within nearly 3 months," Mr. Duc said.

Currently, eels weighing around 40 per kilogram are being purchased by traders at a price of 75,000 - 80,000 VND/kg. Photo: Xuan Hoang

According to Mr. Ho Bao Thong - Chairman of the People's CommitteeQuynh Doi communeAccording to the report: Farmers in the commune have been investing in raising cartilaginous eels since the end of 2021. Based on the success of the first model, there are now 6 households investing in raising cartilaginous eels, with a total area of ​​over 9,000 square meters.²Water surface. Cartilaginous eels are easy to raise, and with intensive farming methods, farmers produce tens of tons of commercial eels annually. Due to strong market demand, they sell out as soon as they are harvested.

"Due to high market demand, the existing households raising cartilaginous eels in the commune are not meeting the demand. With the potential of the locality having many low-lying areas, ponds, and lakes for aquaculture, people can renovate and expand the area for raising cartilaginous eels, supplying the market and increasing their income," said Mr. Ho Bao Thong.