A Mekong Delta farmer who began raising shrimp 25 years ago now runs six high-tech farms covering 45 hectares, using mesh-covered ponds and closed-loop systems to earn about $1.5 million in annual profit.
Instead of concentrating production in the favorable season as many farmers do, Dang Van Bay, 55, also known as Bay An, devotes most of his shrimp farming area in Thanh Phong Commune, Vinh Long Province, to the off-season.
Bay said shrimp prices have declined in recent years while production costs and risks remain high. Investing in technology to raise shrimp when market supply is lower allows him to avoid competing directly with the majority of farmers.
"Raising one shrimp in the off-season is worth raising two in the main season," Bay said.
Abandoning old methods for high-tech farming
Dang Van Bay has built a highly profitable business through high-tech shrimp farming.
Bay began raising shrimp about 25 years ago, when only a handful of households in Thanh Phong Commune were engaged in the business. Recognizing the advantages of the coastal land, he decided to invest.
The early years were far from easy. Limited experience and unfavorable weather caused mass shrimp deaths. But Bay persisted, continuing to learn and gradually improving both the farming environment and his techniques.
"I raised shrimp mainly by relying on the natural advantages of the land. I was always struggling and had nothing left over," Bay recalled.
Beginning in 2001, local farmers started shifting toward industrial shrimp farming. Production methods at the time, however, remained relatively basic and relied mainly on earthen ponds, limiting efficiency.
After years of traditional farming, a turning point came in 2017, when Bay decided to invest all his capital in a closed-loop, high-tech shrimp farming model.
Traditionally, one hectare of land would typically contain about two grow-out ponds, each with 4,000 square meters of water surface, with the remaining land used for settling and water-treatment ponds.
Under Bay's high-tech model, only about 1,500 square meters are allocated to commercial shrimp ponds, while the rest is divided among nursery, settling and water-treatment ponds.
This arrangement allows him to control the water supply, stock shrimp at high densities and continuously replenish the ponds with clean water. As a result, the shrimp grow faster, suffer fewer diseases and deliver substantially higher yields than under conventional farming methods.
Mesh houses help protect shrimp from temperature shocks
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Shrimp ponds are covered with mesh structures to reduce the impact of weather and stabilize water temperatures.
One measure Bay considers particularly important is constructing mesh houses over the shrimp ponds. He said the covers help limit sudden temperature changes, one of the factors that can stress shrimp and make them more susceptible to disease.
For example, when the ambient temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius, a heavy downpour can cause pond water temperatures to plunge to 25-26 degrees Celsius. Such abrupt changes can stress shrimp, reduce their feeding and increase the risk of disease.
In ponds covered by mesh structures, however, water temperatures change more gradually. During rain, temperatures typically fall by only 1-2 degrees Celsius before gradually rising again when sunny weather returns.
"This way, the shrimp suffer less shock and are less prone to disease," Bay explained.
The mesh houses also prove useful during periods of extreme heat or cold. According to Bay, temperatures inside the covered farming area are generally lower than outside on hot days. In cold weather, the structures also help limit temperature fluctuations, providing shrimp with a more stable environment.
That is also why Bay chooses to raise shrimp during the off-season. Under adverse weather conditions, traditional farming methods can result in high losses. With covered ponds, however, water temperatures fluctuate less, providing more stable conditions for shrimp growth.
Installing a mesh structure over a 1,000-square-meter pond costs about $1,900, including support columns, tension wires and related components.
The mesh houses cannot completely protect shrimp from disease. Bay said, however, that covering the ponds helps reduce exposure to certain external threats, including the risk of pathogens being spread by birds.
Beyond the mesh houses, Bay has developed a closed-loop farming process designed to control environmental conditions and disease risks from the outset.
Water first enters settling ponds before passing through treatment ponds and then being supplied to commercial grow-out ponds. Shrimp larvae are selected from quality-assured suppliers and placed in nursery tanks for about 20-30 days. Only after reaching a relatively uniform size are they transferred to grow-out ponds.
During cultivation, waste is regularly collected and treated to minimize water pollution.
The farming process is divided into several stages. After each stage, shrimp are moved to ponds appropriate for their size and growth conditions, helping reduce stress caused by changes in the aquatic environment.
The model also avoids the use of antibiotics, aiming to produce clean shrimp that meet market requirements.
At his farms, Bay regularly checks each pond, monitoring the shrimp's feeding behavior and paying particular attention to the color of the water. Drawing on decades of experience, he can assess aspects of shrimp health simply by observing the water's color.
$1.5 million profit and dozens of local jobs
Bay operates six high-tech shrimp farming sites covering about 45 hectares, generating approximately $1.5 million in annual profit.
The model's effectiveness is reflected in its output and profitability. In 2019, Bay harvested about 300 tons of shrimp, earning nearly $760,000 in profit. In 2020, production rose to around 350 tons, generating approximately $950,000 in profit.
Bay now operates six high-tech shrimp farming sites covering a total area of about 45 hectares. He said the operation generates roughly $1.5 million in profit each year.
His shrimp farms have also obtained Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certifications, meeting requirements for responsible aquaculture, environmental practices and product quality.
As a result, his shrimp command prices about $0.19-0.30 per kilogram higher than prevailing market rates. The products are primarily supplied to European, US and Japanese markets.
According to Bay, the most important lesson from decades in the industry is the need to continually change and improve farming methods.
After 25 years in the business, Bay has been honored as an "Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer" and recognized at the national level as an outstanding farmer in production and business.
In addition to shrimp farming, Bay sells feed, disease-treatment products and other aquaculture supplies, generating about $380,000 in profit annually.
His six shrimp farming sites also provide regular employment for around 60 workers. Monthly salaries range from about $380 at the lowest level to as much as $610.
Speaking to VietNamNet, Pham Van Hung, chairman of the Thanh Phong Commune People's Committee, said Bay's high-tech shrimp farming model delivers strong economic returns while creating jobs and raising incomes for local residents.
Hung said the locality plans to invest in and improve infrastructure to create better conditions for large-scale shrimp farming operations and businesses to expand.
Improved transport links, he said, would make it easier to move feed and other inputs as well as harvested shrimp, helping farmers reduce production costs.
Vietnamnet.vn
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