Hoang Mai Town: Weak infrastructure in shrimp farming areas

(Baonghean.vn) - Hoang Mai town has a shrimp farming area of ​​450 hectares. Shrimp has made many households here rich, but currently, the infrastructure of shrimp farming areas is under-invested and seriously damaged, significantly affecting farmers.

People use sandbags to prevent salt water from entering shrimp ponds when the tide rises. Photo: Thanh Thuy

With the advantage of being located next to Mai Giang River, for decades, Mai Hung ward residents have strongly developed the white-leg shrimp farming industry. The farming area has been increasingly expanded, now over 80 hectares.

In previous years, the average yield was 3-3.5 tons/ha, so many people made billions of dong in profits. However, in recent years, many shrimp farming areas have been infected with white spot virus and acute hepatopancreatic necrosis, causing many households to suffer heavy losses and have to suspend their ponds.

One of the reasons is that the infrastructure of the farming area is weak, so the water source is polluted. All the water sources are taken in and discharged into the same canal system, so the spread of pathogens is very easy to happen. The awareness of farmers is not really high, when the pond is sick, they immediately discharge it into the environment with the risk of spreading to the neighboring ponds.

Hoang Mai currently has 5 concentrated shrimp farming planning areas in the communes and wards of Quynh Xuan, Mai Hung, Quynh Di, Quynh Lien, and Quynh Loc. Apart from some sections invested in embankments, most of the water supply and drainage channels here are earthen canals, so the water source from Mai Giang River to the ponds is increasingly dirty. People mainly invest in rudimentary water supply and drainage pipes to serve production.

Most of the canal banks are earthen canals which do not ensure a good environment for farming areas. Photo: Thanh Thuy

On the other hand, the dikes to prevent saltwater intrusion in shrimp farming areas are relatively low, so storms, floods, and high tides have overflowed the dikes, causing saltwater intrusion into the ponds. Especially in the area close to the Mai Giang River, the dikes have eroded to a depth of about 20 meters, seriously threatening the safety of the farming area.

Piling and sandbag reinforcement when the water level rises is only a temporary and ineffective solution. To overcome this, households have to hire excavators to level and upgrade the dike, but this is only a temporary solution.

Mr. Vu Tuan Dung - Vice Chairman of Hoang Mai Town People's Committee said: The issue of planning and upgrading infrastructure for shrimp farming areas has been given special attention by Hoang Mai Town People's Committee, however, funding for implementation is facing many difficulties. In the coming time, the town will try to find sources to upgrade low dike sections, prevent saltwater intrusion to minimize damage to people.

Some ponds were abandoned due to unsuitable farming conditions. Photo: Thanh Thuy

It is known that in 2016, the People's Committee of Nghe An province approved the project "upgrading shrimp farming infrastructure" for Hoang Mai town worth over 61 billion VND. Hopefully, this project will soon be implemented to contribute to completing the infrastructure of shrimp farming areas, helping people feel secure in developing production./.

Thanh Thuy