Rice-shrimp Production Has Good Harvest, High Prices

Farmers in the Ca Mau peninsula are delighted as they enjoy a bumper rice crop on shrimp farming land.

Thanks to that, many people are going to welcome the 2022 Lunar New Year more decently. The rice-shrimp model is now considered natural agriculture, adapting to climate change.

Good Harvest

During the days near the 2022 Lunar New Year, in Thoi Binh District, the largest rice-shrimp production area in Ca Mau Province, farmers are preparing for the Tet holiday with joy and excitement.

Pham Van Chien, a farmer in Bien Bach Dong Commune, Thoi Binh District, said that he had just finished harvesting the rice-shrimp crop. “Although the initial preparation for sowing faced difficulties due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, farmers actively desalinized the soil and sowed according to the seasonal schedule recommended by the agricultural industry. In addition, the weather is favorable this year, so both shrimp and rice have a good harvest. With more than 2 hectares, I harvested giant freshwater prawns and rice for more than VND140 million. This year, the family celebrates Tet more joyfully and affluently," he said.

Read more: Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture (IMTA)

Similarly, in the provinces of Kien Giang and Bac Lieu, farmers who produce under the rice-shrimp model are also happy because of the good harvest and high prices. The rice varieties that farmers grow in the rice-shrimp area are ST24, ST25, OM2517, and OM5451, and they also raise giant freshwater prawns in the field. This year, the rice price remained high, while that of giant freshwater prawns decreased by about 5-10 percent at the beginning of the crop. Fortunately, the price has climbed again near the Lunar New Year, so farmers have high profits.

Mr. Vo Hoang Nguyen, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vinh Thuan District in Kien Giang Province, said excitedly that the initial plan of the district was to produce about 10,000 hectares of rice-shrimp crop. However, thanks to favorable weather, farmers sowed up to 14,000 hectares. Currently, rice-shrimp crops have a good harvest and high prices, helping people celebrate the Lunar New Year more affluently.

Sustainable Model

According to the people of the Ca Mau peninsula, the actual production shows that everyone highly appreciates the rice-shrimp model because it brings economic efficiency and sustainability, suitable with the natural conditions of this place.

Accordingly, in the dry season, after harvesting rice, farmers plumb saltwater into the field for shrimp farming, mainly black tiger shrimps, crabs, and fish. When the rainy season comes, decreasing the salinity, farmers improve the soil to grow rice combined with raising giant freshwater prawns.

Read more: Study C’s The Future In Sustainable Aquaculture

As one of the households with many years of experience under the rice-shrimp model, Huynh Van Dung, a farmer in Tri Luc Commune, Thoi Binh District, Ca Mau Province, said that production under the rice-shrimp model supports each other. Because growing rice on shrimp land, when harvesting, decomposed rice stubble helps the soil to become more fertile, cutting off pathogens, farming black tiger shrimp is also more successful. Therefore, shrimp and rice both grow well.

However, the obstacle is that the irrigation system has not been closed, and the source of freshwater is dependent on rains. Therefore, if the weather is favorable, the rice crop will be successful. However, in the year when the drought and saltwater intrusion comes early and develops complicatedly, it will be a bit difficult for farmers.

Scientists estimate that the rice-shrimp production model is adaptable to climate change and environmentally sustainable, reduces the need to use fertilizers and chemicals in rice production, causing less harm to the natural environment, adapting in a natural direction.

Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Thoi Binh District, said that one of the reasons why the rice-shrimp model remained difficult is the incomplete irrigation infrastructure.

Read more: Sustainable Aquaculture to Feed The World

“Therefore, it is necessary to invest in irrigation systems and build closed irrigation sub-zones for a more efficient and sustainable production model. To do this, more capital is needed in the near future. Currently, the district's resources are limited, so it needs the support of the province and the central Government," said Mr. Phuc. Currently, many localities in the Ca Mau peninsula have been applying production following value chain links and rice rotation production under the standards of organic and safe rice products.

Mr. Luu Hoang Ly, Director of Bac Lieu Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, acknowledged that the rice-shrimp production model is increasingly effective. However, for more stable and sustainable development, the agricultural sector will focus on investing in irrigation to serve rice-shrimp production methodically and proactively.

According to Mr. Luu Hoang Ly, the upcoming orientation is to plan the production area in the direction of fragrant rice and clean shrimp and head towards organic rice-shrimp production. In addition, it will step by step form a supply value chain and product consumption towards sustainability, adaptation to climate change, helping farmers create high-quality, safe products, meeting the needs of the export market.

Source: vietnamnet.vn