Giant river prawns are more favored in the market compared to some other freshwater species. Therefore, farmer Phụng in Triệu Phong district, Quảng Trị province, decided to raise giant river prawns in his earthen ponds. Thanks to following the correct technical procedures for prawn farming, his model has developed well, providing stable income for his family.
In the past, Phụng’s family used nearly 2,000 m2 of ponds to stock traditional freshwater fish such as carp, catfish, and tilapia, but the economic efficiency was not high, and there were many risks.
After researching aquatic species, he decided to choose giant river prawns. In 2022, Phụng’s family was selected by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the district to receive support in building a giant river prawn farming model. Initially, he cleaned the pond, reinforced the fencing system, drilled wells, installed pumps and equipment for prawn farming according to the technical guidelines.
Qualified prawn seeds were purchased from Bến Tre. At harvest time, traders come directly to his ponds to buy prawns. Due to the success of the first year, in 2023, he continued to rear giant river prawns into freshwater ponds.
In his opinion, for effective farming, healthy prawn seeds must be selected, free from diseases, with a light pink color, and uniform size. Taking care of giant river prawns is relatively simple, just monitoring the quantity and timely detecting diseases for effective prevention.
Giant river prawns grow fast, require small initial investment, and the pond water does not affect the surrounding environment. The care period is short, and locally available food sources such as small fish, snails, rice bran, and corn can be utilized. The stocking density is 10-12 pcs/m2. After 6-7 months, prawns can grow approximately 150-160 times compared to their initial weight.
Thanks to the correct technical procedures, his giant river prawns weighed up well. The harvest is carried out just after 6-7 months. On average, with the size 10-12 count and price of 350,000 VND/kg, he can earn around 140 million VND per crop. He added, “This year marks the second year we’ve been farming giant river prawns. Giant river prawns adapt well to the freshwater environment and the local climate. In the future, my family will continue and develop this model.”
Nguyễn Thiện Nhân, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Triều Phong district, stated: “Triều Phong district has 305 hectares of freshwater aquaculture area, which is favorable for expanding the area for giant river prawn farming. In the years 2022-2023, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development supported seedlings and techniques to implement the construction of 2 giant river prawn farming models. In the future, the department will continue to support and guide local farmers to multiple this model.”
VFM
