Kien Giang lies on the shores of the Gulf of Thailand, which covers more than 63,000 square kilometers of territorial waters (roughly 10 times higher than the land area), with over 140 large and small islands, 43 of which are inhabited. 

The coast is over 200 kilometers long, stretching from Mui Nai (Ha Tien town) to Tieu Dua (An Minh district, adjacent to Ca Mau province).

Developing brackish shrimp farming is an alternative to rice cultivation as climate change has led to rising sea water levels. Coastal aquaculture is playing an increasingly important role in the local economy as natural resources are gradually being exhausted. 

Of four ecological sub-regions of Kien Giang, Long Xuyen Quadrangle and U Minh Thuong (UMT) have identified aquaculture as one of the key economic sectors in the localities. 

In addition to farming in coastal areas, inland culture is becoming more popular. 

In 2000, Kien Giang authorities decided to apply the rice cultivation/brackish shrimp farming model instead of the rice/fresh fish farming in most of the U Minh Thuong area.

The shift in agricultural production models has created a breakthrough for the local economy and the income from the new model is much higher than the fresh fish farming model.

According to Quan Trong Thao, deputy director of Kien Giang agriculture department, the total brackish shrimp farming area had reached 116,000 hectares by the first eight months of the year, or 3,000 hectares higher than for the whole year.

In U Minh Thuong, the shrimp farming area is especially large: 48,000 hectares in An Minh district, 21,000 in An Bien and 19,000 in Vinh Thuan.

In Long Xuyen Quadrangle, which is called the ‘industrial shrimp mine’ of the province, people began extensive farming.

In the past, under the government’s Long Xuyen Quadrangle exploitation program, people and scientists tried every possible way to retain fresh water for rice fields. But things are different today, as rice cultivation is more unstable in the area near the sea.

Asked about profits from shrimp farming, Nguyen Hoang Minh, a farmer in Bay Cho of Dong Thai commune in An Bien district, said one kilogram of shrimp can be sold for VND200,000 while every hectare can bring 250-300 kilograms, which means the profit is 10 times higher than rice cultivation.

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Nong Nghiep