Sharing about this unique model, Mr. Ha Thuan Cu said that 3 years ago he did it just for entertainment, but the more he discovered it, the more he discovered that this was a potential business direction.
Initially, Mr. Cu invested in 200 plastic crab and 200 crab and nail seeds for 250,000 VND/house. The tower is designed with additional valves to retain water and drain water at the bottom, making it convenient to replace water periodically every 5 days to ensure a clean environment for nail crab growth. He also built a 3-storey rack system to place the beams high, helping to save space.
According to Mr. Cu, raising crab and nail in plastic cages is not complicated: "If 100 crab, about 5 crab will be lost. After about 3 years, the crab reached 5 - 7kg but weighed 3.5kg and could be sold. Retail prices are currently from 400,000 - 450,000 VND/kg, helping to have a stable source of income even if not farming in a large-scale or commercial direction".
Mr. Cu said that raising crab and nail in plastic province brings many outstanding benefits compared to traditional farming methods, helping farmers achieve stable economic efficiency. The biggest advantages are flexibility and environmental control. Plastic roofs can be floored, suitable for small spaces such as gardens or warehouses, helping to significantly save space in the context of shrinking agricultural land funds.
"Pleading in the province also helps proactively manage water resources, limit the impact of weather such as floods, droughts, or environmental pollution, help crab and nail crab grow well and minimize risks for farmers," said Mr. Cu.
According to Mr. Cu, this model also helps improve productivity and product quality. Thanks to the tightly controlled farming environment, nail crab develops evenly, has few diseases, the meat is firm and delicious. The survival rate of the breed also increased significantly thanks to proactive management.
"Although the initial investment cost for farming salts and water filtration systems is quite high, in the long run, this model reduces the risk of natural disasters and epidemics, helping production to be stable and sustainable," he emphasized.
Currently, Mr. Cu is continuing to invest in improving the farming environment so that crab and nail crab can breed near the natural variety, with thick sand and adjacent water cages to test large-scale breeding production.
Seeing the economic efficiency of the model, recently the Farmers' Association of Nga Bay Ward (Can Tho City) established a Team to implement the crab and nail farming model in plastic province in area 18, to support members in exchanging techniques, sharing quality seed sources and linking stable output. The Nga Bay Social Policy Bank Transaction Office also supported Mr. Ha Thuan Cu with 100 million VND to expand the model.
In addition to the nail crab model, some coastal localities of Can Tho City also implement crab farming in plastic boxes placed in ponds, farming in tarpaulins on the shore or plastic boxes kept in greenhouses. The model significantly reduces the loss rate, increasing efficiency for farmers.
