NinhBinh (VNA) - More than two years ago, Dang Thanh Tan, a farmer in BinhMinh town, northern Ninh Binh province, decided to switch from breeding shrimpin traditional ponds to high-tech farming.

Over the course of the same breedingperiod, the new technique brings about higher shrimp productivity and qualitythan the traditional method.

By the end of 2015, after studying shrimpbreeding models nationwide, Tan decided to renovate his farm by buildinga green house and spreading out a layer of canvas at the bottom ofthe pond.

Tan said that the high-tech shrimp farmingmodel requires breeders to build a pond with an appropriate area (2ha), as wellas additional ponds assisting the main one.

Several years ago, the shrimp he raised inthe traditional pond yielded low productivity as the shrimps were affectedby unfavourable weather conditions and attacked by diseases. Now heuses probiotics instead of antibiotics so that shrimps have better resistanceagainst diseases and are of a better quality.

The biggest advantage of high-tech shrimpfarming is a closed breeding process, he said, adding that breeders can control the breedingenvironment so that they can prevent disease risks since shrimps are releasedto the pond until they are grown up.

“I can release only 50-70 shrimp per sq.m toa traditional pond but up to 150-200 shrimp per sq.m to a high-tech pond. Therisk of death stays very low. Each kg has 40-50 shrimps,” Tan said.

Thanks to new technology, Tan is able to cutdown on production spending. He built a separate water treatment area coveringthe same area as the breeding pond (2ha).

On the same area, his model helps save moneycompared to other models, including saving water thanks to the water treatmentsystem which helps improve biological safety and reduces energy costs thanks toa special air pumping system.

With the traditional method, breeders have tofeed shrimps. Tan uses an automatic shrimp feeding machine which helps preventfood being wasted in the water and reduces labour. Shrimps fed by this methodalso grow faster.

Last year, after three seasons, he harvested50 tonnes of shrimp products worth over 8 billion VND (348,000 USD). The totalprofit gained was estimated at more than 3 billion VND (130,500 USD).

Tan said that he would multiply the high-techshrimp farming model and apply additional technologies to his farm.

The high-tech shrimp breeding model requiresbig investment but brings about high profits, controls diseases and addressesenvironmental problems.

Its production is really sustainable, said Nguyen TienThanh, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Ninh Binh province. He encouraged local shrimp breeders to switchto high-tech farming for higher profits.-VNA