Nghe An farmers begin planting shrimp for the main crop

Hoang Mai town has more than 500 hectares of shrimp farming area, mainly concentrated in Quynh Xuan, Mai Hung, Quynh Di, Quynh Loc wards and a little in Quynh Lap. According to the seasonal schedule, the main shrimp crop will start from March 1 to June 30.

Mai Hung Ward is one of the largest shrimp farming areas in Hoang Mai town with more than 80 hectares. From the beginning of the year, all ponds after harvesting are drained, cleaned, collected garbage, moss, plowed and dried, then lime powder is sprinkled to improve the bottom and banks of the pond to kill bacteria, kill weeds and stabilize pH.

Now the weather has started to warm up, most of the ponds have been dried, ready for shrimp stocking. Many households are continuing to collect water to settle and color, preparing to stock shrimp in time for the season.

The ponds are being cleaned to prepare for the main crop of the year. Photo by Thanh Thuy

In Quynh Xuan ward, with decades of experience in shrimp farming, Mr. Vu Van Duc's family in block 5 is one of the most successful shrimp farming households in Hoang Mai. In the past three years, he has applied and implemented a high-tech shrimp farming model with a system of ponds, nursery ponds, and water treatment ponds all lined with thick nylon banks and bottoms. At the same time, the nursery ponds are built with conical roofs, using load-bearing cable frames and layers of nylon and glass.

This method helps the nursery pond to resist the cold, keep warm in winter and protect against the sun in summer, the pond temperature is always guaranteed to differ from the outside environment by 5-10 degrees. The shrimp are incubated for 30 days, grow and develop well before being brought to the ponds in the natural environment. At this time, the shrimp are strong and healthy, so they grow very quickly and limit diseases. Thanks to that, the productivity is also higher.

Most shrimp farming households in Hoang Mai town grow seedlings in houses covered with nets and glass. Photo by Thanh Thuy

Mr. Vu Van Duc shared: "The first crop of shrimp is still in cold weather, so we have to use a glass roof to avoid rain, wind and cold. Otherwise, the shrimp will grow slowly."

It is known that, to ensure the success of the farming season, the Town People's Committee has directed the Economic Department, Veterinary Station, and Agricultural Extension to closely coordinate with local authorities to guide farmers to comply with technical procedures and be ready to support farmers in disease control. In addition, farmers and authorities are also reminded to effectively manage the farming environment, properly treat the input water source, and find reputable sources of breeding stock.

Shrimp larvae incubated for 20 days are growing well. Photo by Thanh Thuy

Mr. Vu Tuan Dung - Vice Chairman of Hoang Mai Town People's Committee said:Since the beginning of the year, the town has implemented a plan for shrimp farming units. Up to now, people have basically completed cleaning the pond system; the seed system has been put into nursery.

Currently, to help shrimp larvae grow well in the changing weather, most farmers have applied the technique of growing shrimp in greenhouses with temperatures above 24 degrees Celsius. After growing shrimp, the weight of the shrimp will reach 800-1000/kg and then they will be released into the pond. Up to now, many households have released shrimp larvae for 10-20 days and the shrimp are growing and developing well.

Thanh Thuy