The first cooperative certified for responsible aquaculture

Thanh Cong 1 Cooperative in Phong Thanh commune, Gia Rai, was the first of its kind to get “responsible aquaculture” certification.

The model of 2 shrimp crops and 1 rice crop of Thanh Cong 1 Cooperative has an income of more than VND 115 million per ha per year. Photo: Trong Linh.

The model of two shrimp crops and one rice crop

Following VietGAP and GlobalGAP, River Delta aquaculture families are adopting a tougher standard in order to comply with international standards, namely ASC certification.

ASC is the worldwide standard for fisheries and is considered as a passport for seafood seeking access to the world's most lucrative markets. To get the paper, not only is seafood needed to satisfy food safety standards but also agricultural regions must avoid unfavorable environmental and ecological system effects.

Thanh Cong 1 Cooperative is the country's first ASC-certified unit, with a model of two shrimp farms and one rice crop.

Luong Minh Ut, a Cooperative member, said that he had 1,200 m2 set aside for five years of intercropping shrimp and rice. In 2021, Thanh Cong 1 Cooperative collaborates with the Bac Lieu province's Center for Agricultural Extension to pilot the high-quality fragrant rice ST24. Rice at 60 days of age is growing well despite being hampered by unfavorable weather.

He said that according to the yearly agricultural calendar, the rice harvest runs from September to New Year's Eve, with the remainder of the time used to intercrop shrimp crops with rice crops during the rainy season to enhance the soil. Growing two shrimp crops and one rice crop will be much more advantageous than monoculture shrimp.

Intercropping generates three times the revenues of shrimp monoculture. Not long ago, the rice-shrimp intercropping model with slow-growing shrimp was not used. They have ceased using pharmaceutical medicines after joining Thanh Cong 1 Cooperative.

There is a clear difference in efficiency between families who utilize the rice-shrimp model and those that produce solely shrimp monocultures, according to data from households that employ the rice-shrimp model. For instance, Luong Minh Ky, a member of Thanh Cong 1 Cooperative in Gia Rai town, said that he had two hectares of land dedicated to rice-shrimp cultivation and eight hectares to shrimp farming. It has been proven via monitoring after two stocking harvests that shrimp produced using the rice-shrimp paradigm develop quicker. The rice-shrimp approach is unquestionably more sustainable than the prior one based on specialized shrimp.

Annual revenue of more than VND 115 million

According to Nguyen Ngoc Tho, Chairman of the Executive Board of Thanh Cong 1 Cooperative, the unit has 56 members and a total area of 105 hectares. It was ASC certified in 2016. Members of the cooperative are obligated to maintain safe criteria in accordance with the ASC's code of standards.

By participating in the model, Au Vung Company provides 50% of the seed for the first harvest and guarantees production at a higher price. Although 64 hectares have been certified ASC so far, the cooperative is working for certification of the whole region. From 2016 until the present, many units have advocated for the re-certification of ASC for cooperatives.

Tho said that the shrimp stocking season is now in its second harvest, and farmed shrimp are growing nicely. Each year, the quantity of farmed shrimp harvestable at 450-500kg per hectare is estimated to be about VND70 million. It will begin sowing for the rice crop in late August and continue until mid-November when it will be harvested.

Each hectare produces about 6-7 tons of rice, and at a price of VND7,000 per kg, the average revenue per hectare is approximately VND 45.5 million. The average annual revenue generated by rice shrimp is more than VND 115 million per hectare. However, one of the critical elements in obtaining a better selling price for shrimp is compliance with the ASC standard.

Aquaculture Stewardship Council is an acronym for Aquaculture Stewardship Council. It is a non-profit organization that was established in 2009 by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) to oversee worldwide standards for responsible aquaculture. ASC develops standards on four pillars: the environment, society, animal welfare, and food safety.