Raising a gentle clam that doesn't need to be fed, a farmer in Ca Mau found it and sold it for a high price.

Mr. Thieu said: Around the end of 2019, an acquaintance gave him a few kilos of clams, which he brought home to try raising in a shrimp pond.

After a while, he saw that the clams were growing well, so in early 2020, Mr. Tran Van Thieu started raising the first crop.

With more than 1.5 hectares of water surface, he combines shrimp, crab and mussel farming. To have a good source of mussel seeds, he went to a reputable mussel nursery in Kien Giang province to buy them for farming.

Mr. Tran Van Thieu harvests mussels in a shrimp farm.

According to Mr. Thieu, the biggest advantage of this clam farming model is that the only initial cost is releasing the juveniles, no need to feed them.

The food of mussels is mainly detritus, bottom algae and microorganisms. During the mussel farming process, regularly monitor the mussels' growth rate. The most suitable time to release mussels is from May to August of the lunar calendar.

According to Mr. Thieu: "It takes 4 to 6 months to raise clams for harvest. At this time, the clams weigh from 20 to 25 clams/kg. After harvesting, after deducting expenses, he has a profit of over 40 million VND."

Not only Mr. Tran Van Thieu's family, currently the model of raising mussels intercropped in shrimp ponds has helped many households in Bung Binh hamlet and neighboring hamlets of Hung My commune, Cai Nuoc district, Ca Mau province have a stable source of income.

Raising mussels in shrimp ponds helps Mr. Tran Van Thieu's family improve production efficiency.

Intercropping of many species on the same cultivated area has helped people exploit the full potential of the land, increase income, and develop the family economy .

Mr. Trinh Quoc Khanh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hung My Commune, said: "Recently, the commune has also encouraged farmers to diversify production models to improve economic efficiency for their families. The model of fattening mussels in Bung Binh Hamlet is currently showing effectiveness.

The commune is also mobilizing people with conditions to replicate the model of intercropping mussels with shrimp and crabs. At the same time, it is also coordinating with specialized agencies to support mussel farming techniques for people to make the farming model more effective.

The model of fattening mussels in shrimp ponds helps diversify aquaculture species on the same cultivated area, helping farmers increase their income. It needs to be replicated in places with conditions.

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