Linking production – new path for caged fish farming in Da river

Boasting 80km in length, the hydropower reservoir in Da river has a surface area of 8,892 ha with various stretches from the hydropower plant in Hoa Binh city to Suoi Nanh commune (Da Bac district), and borders Phu Yen commune of Son La province. According to the Hoa Binh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the reservoir is home to 94 species of fish belonging to 71 breeds, 21 families of eight orders. Of the figure, 88 are indigenous and six alien. It is noteworthy that 12 species listed in the 2007 Red Data Book of Vietnam also dwell here.

Hung Nguyen Limited Company currently raises 180 cages of fish in the hydropower reservoir of Da river in Tien Phong commune (Da Bac district).

After more than four years implementing Resolution No. 12/NQ-TU, Hoa Binh province provided 32 billion VND (1.375 million USD) for households and cooperatives in the area to farm 2,702 cages of fish. As a result, the cages now totals 4,300 in the water, equivalent to 260,000 cu.m., an increase of 2,000 cages compared to 2015.

As of October 2018, the total seafood output of the province hit 8,300 tonnes, of which farming output stood at 2,700 tonnes, up 1,500 tonnes from 2015. Aquaculture has created stable jobs and income for more than 5,000 workhands, surpassing the resolution’s target of 2,200.

In the reviewed period, there were 41 farming units with over 20 cages each, and two with over 100 cages. Those two are Hai Dang company in Thai Thinh commune (Hoa Binh city), which owns 200 cages totalling 28,800 cu.m., and Hung Nguyen in Tien Phong (Da Bac district) with 180 cages of 25,200 cu.m.

Especially, seven firms were granted certificates for setting cooperative links with fish farming households under VietGap standards, supplying over 2,000 tonnes annually for the market. They also formed three chains of production and consumption of Da river fish in Hanoi market, with about 500 fish cages.

With financial assistance from the national target programme on building new-style rural areas, the model producing safe foodstuff from Da river fish has been successfully launched through two production projects, with 300 cages of 70 families in five districts.

 n addition, since 2015, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has arranged 45 refresher courses on caged fish farming for 1,500 rural labourers living by the reservoir and provided technical guidance for over 2,000 farmers. Four scientific research projects applying high technology in fish farming and brooding in cages have yielded good results.

Notably, fish and shrimp in Da river from Hoa Binh been granted a trademark by the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam, which was announced during an investment promotion event on December 11 this year. The recognition serves as a condition for the province to bolster production, expand consumption market, and raise product value towards exports.

Besides, the Marvin group is working on a hi-tech project raising red and black tilapia in 100 cages of 2,000 cu.m. each on 100 ha of surface, with an expected annual yield of 10,000 tonnes. In the following phase, the group will build a processing factory and a high quality brooding centre in the region./.