Lam Dong bets on high-tech shrimp farming for higher returns
In Lam Dong Province, shrimp farmers are moving away from traditional practices and embracing high-tech, closed systems to farm whiteleg shrimp and black tiger shrimp. This modern approach enables better environmental control, reduces disease risks, and boosts economic efficiency, aligning with the province’s strategy to promote high-tech aquaculture.
Bui Van Tri, a shrimp farmer in Hoa Thang commune, turned to this model after grappling with market volatility and environmental pollution in 2017-2018. From modest beginnings, he has since established Bao Y Co., Ltd., which now operates a 20-hectare shrimp farm with over 100 ponds equipped with roofed tanks, aeration systems, and a professional water treatment setup.
Bao Y is a pioneer in implementing the CPF-Combine model, which integrates nursery, grow-out, and sludge-settling ponds into one closed system. According to company director Bui Thien Bao, each pond requires an investment of roughly VND 500 million (approx. USD 20,000), but yields stable, high returns. The farm produces over 500 tonnes of antibiotic-free shrimp annually, averaging 30–40 shrimp per kilogram.
The CPF-Combine model optimizes nutrient use, improves survival rates, shortens production cycles, and enables multiple harvests each year. Importantly, the entire process is antibiotic-free, relying instead on probiotics and minerals to ensure biosecurity and environmental sustainability.
Tri’s farm has become a model site for other shrimp producers in the province. The provincial Agricultural Extension Center has piloted aeration systems at the site, delivering positive outcomes. The facility now provides stable employment to more than 100 local workers.
Looking ahead, the company is developing an integrated shrimp farming and eco-tourism model, paving the way for a new form of agri-tourism in the region.
Lam Dong Province is currently accelerating its aquaculture development plan through 2030, with a vision to 2045, promoting advanced technologies tailored to each region’s ecological conditions. The success of Tri’s model highlights the vast potential for high-tech aquaculture to become a key driver of the local economy.
VFM
