Mekong aquaculture to expand

Viet Nam plans to expand the area for aquaculture in the Cuu Long (Mekong) River Delta to 830,000 hectares, yielding nearly 3 million tonnes per year by 2015, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The industry, which is expected to reach export revenue of US$4.47 billion by that time, will employ 2.1 million labourers.

The main seafood breeding species in the region will include sugpo prawn, white-leg shrimp, tra fish, tilapia, slams, butterfish, featherback, goby, sweet snail and abalone.

The delta will apply extensive farming cultivation methods to breed sugpo prawn and slams, while breeding of white leg shrimp and tra fish will follow an intensive cultivation method.

The remaining species would be cultivated following extensive farming, semi-intensive farming and intensive farming techniques, the ministry said.

To meet the target, each province in the delta is required to re-organise its seafood production system in co-operatives and associations to link partners involved in the seafood value chain, which includes breeders, processors and exporters.

Provinces will intensify the training of human resources and adjust irrigation planning to serve agricultural development in rural areas. The delta will also speed up construction progress on infrastructure projects and focus on developing the processing industry to raise product value. — VNS

Tags: Mekong aquaculture

Posted by VBN on Nov 21 2010. Filed under Agriculture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry