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Hau Giang – Farmers shift to shrimp-rice farming to cope with salinity and boost incomes

Farmers in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta are turning to climate-resilient shrimp–rice farming as saltwater intrusion worsens and traditional crops face mounting climate risks.

In Long My District, Hau Giang Province, a growing number of farmers are adopting a “nature-based” shrimp-rice rotation model to combat salinity and raise household incomes. In Luong Nghia Commune alone, over 180 hectares of land outside protective dykes have been converted to shrimp-rice farming, up 40 hectares from last year.

Whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) are being harvested early this season at prices between VND 105,000 and 110,000 per kilogram (60 count), up VND 20,000 from the same time last year. After harvesting shrimp, farmers cultivate rice during the winter-spring season, aligning production with natural water cycles to reduce climate-related losses.

“I used to worry constantly about floods and fertilizer costs,” said Vo Van Bao, who switched from double rice cropping to one rice and one shrimp cycle on his one-hectare farm. “Now, profits from shrimp are more stable and higher.”

Luong Nghia, located near the Ngan Dua River, frequently suffers saltwater intrusion during the dry season. While dykes offer partial protection, outer areas remain vulnerable. Since 2023, local authorities have encouraged the shift away from low-yield summer-autumn rice in favor of shrimp farming on saline-prone lands.

Deputy Commune Chairman Nguyen Van Ngoc said around 100 hectares of marginal land are being transitioned to this integrated model. Some farmers are now experimenting with organic rice and mud crab co-culture to diversify incomes.

“Salinity levels between 5 to 10‰ this year are ideal for shrimp,” Ngoc said. “We’re also seeing good returns from mud crabs, which are in strong demand.”

Nguyen Van Khanh, who farms shrimp and mud crabs on half a hectare, invested VND 300,000 in crab seed and harvested crabs weighing over 600 grams. “This model is clearly more profitable than rice alone,” he said.

District authorities plan to expand the model to 500 hectares across three communes: Luong Nghia, Luong Tam, and Xa Phien. “Scientists have validated the shrimp-rice model as both climate-resilient and economically viable,” said Long My Vice Chairman Le Hong Viet. “It helps farmers make better use of limited land and water under growing climate pressure.”

VFM

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