Ca Mau: Rising prices of giant freshwater prawns delight farmers

Farmers in U Minh District, Ca Mau Province, are currently harvesting giant freshwater prawns intercropped in rice fields. Despite initial challenges caused by prolonged hot weather, proactive soil preparation and the application of advanced scientific techniques have resulted in healthy prawn growth and satisfactory yields. Furthermore, prawn prices have risen by 40,000-50,000 VND/kg compared to previous years, bringing joy to the farmers.

This season, Tran Van Ut That, a farmer from Hamlet 9, Khanh Thuan Commune, stocked 80,000 all-male giant freshwater prawns over 4 hectares. To achieve good results, he collected rainwater to reduce soil salinity and used probiotics for soil improvement. Throughout the process, he closely monitored the field and added feed during the last two months before harvest, leading to rapid growth and average yields of 200-220 kg/ha.

That shared: “This year’s prawn farming was more challenging than last year due to hot and dry weather early in the season, making desalination difficult. However, through consistent effort, I managed to stock prawns on schedule. While yields are slightly lower than last year, the high price of 128,000 VND/kg for mixed prawns still allowed me to earn a profit of over 70 million VND after expenses.”

In the same hamlet, Nguyen Van Nhat also completed his harvest of giant freshwater prawns. He stocked 30,000 all-male prawns on 2 hectares. After six months, the prawns reached an average size of 10-12 per kilogram. Taking advantage of high market prices, he decided to harvest early. Nhat noted: “I harvested nearly 300 kg of prawns, and after expenses, I earned over 25 million VND. While yields are slightly lower than last year, the higher prices ensured a profit. I’ve been farming giant freshwater prawns for years, and it’s consistently proven to be a sustainable and profitable model, which makes me very happy.”

Local buyer Phan Hoang De commented: “Prawn prices are exceptionally high this year, making most farmers very pleased. Last year, top-grade prawns sold for only 110,000 VND/kg, and mixed grades were priced at 85,000-90,000 VND/kg. This year, I’m buying top-grade prawns for 138,000-140,000 VND/kg and mixed grades for 125,000-130,000 VND/kg—the highest prices ever.”

According to the U Minh District Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, 3,871 hectares of rice-field intercropping with giant freshwater prawns were cultivated in 2024. Thus far, over 30 hectares have been harvested, mainly in Khanh Thuan Commune, with average yields of 200-250 kg/ha.

Ton Trung Khang, Head of Hamlet 9, stated: “Intercropping giant freshwater prawns in rice fields is a highly effective economic model that has significantly contributed to poverty reduction in our area. In recent years, we have encouraged farmers to maintain and expand this model. Currently, our hamlet has over 500 hectares of prawn-rice farming, helping many households escape poverty and improve their living standards.”

Following the prawn harvest, farmers are preparing their fields for whiteleg shrimp farming, timed to align with the rice harvest for the Lunar New Year in 2025. This dual-crop system is expected to generate additional income, ensuring a more prosperous celebration for the upcoming Tet.

VFM