Crabs, wild animals, raised by Soc Trang people under the forest canopy, caught and sold for 70,000 VND/kg

Cu Lao Dung District ( Soc Trang Province) has supported farmers to successfully implement a model of raising three-sided crabs (a wild crustacean) under the forest canopy. The model also combines rearing and producing three-sided crab seeds to proactively source quality seeds to maintain and develop the model in the future.

If in the past, three-sided crab was just a rustic dish in the countryside, today, this "product" has become a popular dish at many restaurants in the city.

Realizing the high consumer demand and the potential of suitable soil conditions in the local mangrove forest area, Cu Lao Dung district (Soc Trang province) has supported farmers to successfully implement a model of raising crabs (a wild animal belonging to the crustacean class) under the forest canopy.

The model also combines rearing and producing crab seeds to proactively source quality seeds to maintain and develop the model in the future.

In early 2023, An Phu Hung Cooperative in Vam Ho A hamlet, An Thanh Nam commune was supported by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cu Lao Dung district (Soc Trang province) with 500kg of crab seeds to pilot the crab farming model under the forest canopy.

Because it is a wild animal belonging to the amphibian class suitable for mangrove forests and alluvial areas, the crab grows quickly and has a high survival rate.

After nearly 6 months, crab farmers can harvest with a yield of 15 crabs/kg, selling price 70,000 VND/kg.

According to the farmers, the crab farming model has low production costs because it mainly utilizes natural food sources.

Crabs farmers only need to spend the initial investment cost in fencing and netting around the farming area to avoid loss.

In addition to the price of three-sided crabs being less volatile than other livestock, the current supply of three-sided crab meat is also not enough to meet the high consumption demand of the market.

Mr. Bui Thanh Hoang - Chairman of the Board of Directors of An Phu Hung Cooperative, An Thanh Nam Commune, Cu Lao Dung District (Soc Trang Province) shared: "Currently, the three-sided crab is very expensive, because it can be processed into many dishes, so people really like it. Raising this specialty, you never have to worry about not being able to sell it. Raising three-sided crab is also less labor-intensive, you just need to watch to see if the net is torn and fix it so that the three-sided crab does not crawl out."

In recent years, the impact of climate change has made the crab species scarce. In order to proactively provide local seed sources for members who need to access the model as well as restore and conserve the crab species in the local protective forest system, in early 2024, the Cooperative continued to receive support from the District Agricultural Extension Station with 50 kg of egg-bearing crabs to conduct a pilot model of rearing and producing crab seeds.

The model of raising three-sided crab under the mangrove canopy was carried out in An Thanh Nam commune, Cu Lao Dung district (Soc Trang province). Three-sided crab is a wild animal belonging to the crustacean class, in recent years it has become a specialty.

After a period of 18 - 20 days of rearing in a tarpaulin-lined earthen pond, when the crab larvae are about to hatch, they will be released into a fenced alluvial area (to prevent the crabs from crawling out and to prevent natural enemies from eating the hatched crabs).

In the next 20 days, when the baby crabs reach 5 mm in size, the Cooperative will distribute them to members for commercial farming. The biggest advantage of this method is that thanks to being raised in a natural environment, when released into the outside environment, the crabs have good resistance and are easy to adapt, so when raised for meat, they will have a higher survival rate.

Mr. Bui Thanh Hoang added: “In the past, in this area, on the full moon or 30th of the 8th, 9th and 10th lunar months, the three-sided crabs spawned a lot, but now they don’t. In addition, if we compete to catch them, there won’t be many three-sided crabs, so the Cooperative decided to raise three-sided crabs and then gradually expand the number to sell to farmers. The initial results were quite good.”

Nowadays, the crab is one of the specialty animals that can be processed into over 40 different dishes. In addition, live crabs can also be transported long distances to serve many commercial purposes.

Therefore, the safety point when implementing the crab farming model is that farmers will not have to worry much about consumption issues like many other livestock. The important thing is to proactively manage and preserve the crab breeding source well to avoid the scarcity of breeding to serve the needs of replicating the model.

Comrade Lam Anh Tien - Deputy Head of Technical Department, Agricultural Extension Center of Soc Trang province, informed: "First, we must pay attention to the breeding season of the crab (ie the season when the crabs mate), people should limit fishing.

Second, when catching crabs with eggs, farmers should implement a breeding model to bring them to the natural ecological environment so they can hatch into larvae.

In these areas, when the tide rises, it will bring alluvium along with natural food sources to help the baby crabs grow. By doing so, we will gradually stabilize the natural seed source, as well as be able to proactively source good seeds to develop and raise this species in the mangrove forest system.

In addition to bringing stable economic efficiency to farming households, the model of raising three-sided crab under the mangrove canopy also contributes to restoring the ecological environment of coastal alluvial areas.

In the long term, when the model is replicated, it will also create more sustainable livelihoods for local people to participate in forest management and protection. Because once the forest grows well, the crab will have a favorable environment to grow and develop, and the income of the people will be improved.

Source: https://danviet.vn/con-ba-khia-con-dong-vat-hoang-da-dan-soc-trang-nuoi-duoi-tan-rung-bat-ban-70000-dong-kg-20241114143848022.htm