Nghe An farmers' secret to 'winning big' crab farming

Mr. Binh converted 1.5 acres of rice fields into a crab pond. Photo: Thanh Phuc

On the 1.5 sao of rice land auctioned by the commune, starting from 2021, Mr. Nguyen Van Binh in My Chua hamlet, Thanh Tien commune wrote a petition to the government to convert it into a shallow pond, converting from rice cultivation to crab and loach farming. With the consent of local leaders, he hired an excavator to dig a shallow pond (about 80cm deep from the bank of the plot), around the bank, he built a concrete embankment on top, and lined the mud with tarpaulin and corrugated iron underneath to prevent snakes and rats from nesting around the bank.

In the middle of the pond, he dug a ditch around it to bring water in and out, ensuring that the water in the pond is always circulating, avoiding pathogens for the crabs. After carefully preparing the pond, on the one hand, he ordered baby crabs from people who caught them in the area, and on the other hand, he went to catch crabs himself, selected them, and released the seeds.

“Local crab breeds that are similar in habitat and climate will be easier to adapt and grow than buying crab breeds from Hai Phong and Hai Duong . Therefore, the first batch of crabs, despite lack of experience, the survival rate is up to 90%,” said Mr. Binh.

Crab ponds are arranged with inlet and outlet ditches, surrounded by corrugated iron and concrete embankments to ensure the safety of the crabs. Photo: Hoai Thu

Raising crabs does not require much capital or care; the food is simple and can be homemade such as: rice bran, corn bran, fish meal, only need to feed once every 3 days. Therefore, raising field crabs only requires taking advantage of free time during the day.

The most important thing is to have a firm grasp of the growth characteristics of crabs. For example, during the molting stage, bamboo tubes should be placed in the pond to provide shelter for crabs to avoid the situation of one crab eating the other; during the breeding stage, mature crabs should be harvested and thinned out to make room for the young crabs to develop. Crabs do not like the heat, so water hyacinth should be placed in the pond for the crabs to take shelter in the summer.

When releasing duckweed, he carefully calculates the density of crabs in the pond, releasing them in rows and rows so that the duckweed covers the entire surface of the pond. Photo: Thanh Phuc

“Releasing duckweed in the pond also requires technique. The duckweed must be put in sufficient quantity, ensuring density, and specifically divided into zones, not spread everywhere, allowing the duckweed to cover the entire pond surface. Because when the duckweed covers the pond, the crabs grow poorly, due to the narrowing of living space. On the other hand, it is also difficult to observe the crabs, and difficult to know whether the crabs are sick or not.

In the last months of the farming cycle, it is necessary to increase animal feed in the diet so that the crabs grow quickly and have firm meat. At the same time, pay attention to regularly changing the water in the pond or field once a week to stimulate the crabs to molt and catch prey strongly, each time changing 1/4-1/3 of the water in the pond," Mr. Binh shared.

Raising field crabs does not require worrying about the product's "output", because it is favored by the market because the crab meat is firmer, has higher nutritional value, and importantly, consumers do not have to worry about the crabs being contaminated with toxic chemicals used in agricultural production.

When crabs reproduce, they are harvested and sold to avoid big crabs eating small crabs. Photo: Hoai Thu

However, to get a good price for crabs, according to Mr. Binh's experience, farmers must proactively adjust the time of sowing and harvesting. "When the rice in the fields has not been harvested yet, and field crabs are scarce because they are difficult to catch, the price is high. At this time, proactively harvest, both easy to consume and have a good price. In November, when crabs are at their peak, buy seeds to release," said Mr. Binh.

To increase income per unit area, Mr. Binh also raises eels in crab ponds, because this is an easy-to-raise species, living deep in the mud so it does not affect the crabs. According to Mr. Binh's rough calculation, each year, 3 batches of crabs, each batch of 2 quintals, with a selling price of 100,000-120,000 VND/kg, he earns about 70 million VND and about 30 million VND from selling eels, then 1.5 sao of pond brings in an income of about 100 million VND. Compared to growing rice 2 crops before, it is 30-35 times higher.

Each year, income from crab farming ponds is about 100 million VND. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Khanh - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Thanh Chuong district said: The model of raising field crabs from rice fields not only solves jobs, increases income, and brings high economic efficiency to farmers, but also enriches and diversifies the farming objects for the agricultural sector.

At the same time, it contributes to the conservation and development of a valuable aquatic product, the field crab, providing an additional food with high nutritional value and safety for consumers... In the coming time, we will continue to guide, open technical transfer classes, and support capital to replicate the model of breeding field crabs for farmers."

Clip: Phuc - Thu

Source: https://baonghean.vn/bi-quyet-nuoi-cua-dong-trung-lon-cua-nong-dan-nghe-an-post277046.html