Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien (middle) and Mr. Vo Quoc Phuc, Director General of Vina Cleanrfood (right) visit the super-intensive shrimp farming model. Photo: Hu Duc.
“Brave” with new technology
Many models of intensive farming of white leg shrimp on an industrial scale are opened in Soc Trang, applying new technologies in the spirit of constant innovation and transformation.
Mr. Vo Van Phuc, CEO of Vietnam Clean Seafood Joint Stock Company (Vina Cleanfood) reminds that in 2016, raising “clean shrimp” sustainably using high technology was considered risky. Vina Cleanfood has boldly invested over 500 billion VND (including 133ha land lease) to complete 233 land floating ponds, including ponds and ponds with infrastructure for farms, roads, electricity, etc., in line with national agricultural standards.
At that time, no one dared to invest on a large scale in this coastal area where shrimp were farmed, and there was no “algorithm” to determine its effectiveness. In addition, despite having experience in the seafood processing industry, high-tech shrimp farming is a completely new field where no one has paved the way.
So what prompted Mr. Phuc to invest heavily in high-tech shrimp farming? Mr. Phuc clearly believes that water is important. Must know how to appreciate water.
Mr. Phuc pondered and learned for himself from high-tech application models of “super clean” shrimp farming with the model’s survival criteria of sustainable, ecological and domestic… While shaking hands.In the application, from the beginning, he set up a disease control room, a probiotic factory to ensure biosecurity. After 2 years of testing and 2 years of practical testing, with knowledge of shrimp farming techniques on floating ponds, the transformation shows results and spectacular achievements.
Mr. Vo Van Phuc, a pioneer of large investments in shrimp farming in floating ponds. Photo: Hu Duc.
Standing on the riverbank dike, Mr Phuc looked at the system of hundreds of huge cylindrical floating ponds spread out and covered with nets: “If you only understand the technique you can’t do it, you have to be brave to do it.” dare”.
The model goes in the right direction by shaping production along the value chain, meeting market demands and stimulating other units and companies in the shrimp industry to invest together in the sustainable development of farming areas towards clean shrimp farming.
Today, Soc Trang has many new roads leading to shrimp farming areas. Every time the car crosses My Thanh Bridge at night, the shrimp fields are illuminated with bright and shimmering lights when viewed from above. A system of clean shrimp ponds on huge circular pools, arranged in a magnificent layered…
Raise the “Shrimp City”
In the afternoon the river was empty and windy. The sun sets early and pulls down the night, which is also the time when the whole “shrimp city” in Lieu Tu commune (Tran De district, Soc Trang) seems to wake up.
Shrimp farming is clean, that sounds simple, but it is not. After a moment’s thought, Mr. Phuc confided, “Every investment decision involves risks and risks. Every change of direction in a new direction is sometimes a compromise of success or failure. But above all, we have enough self-confidence, we know exactly what we’re doing. It took me 3 years of preparation and thorough technical knowledge to apply new technologies.”
Soc Trang’s shrimp farming area has now expanded to nearly 60,000 hectares. In the coastal communities and districts, the wave of innovation is alive and well. First, extensive shrimp farming, improved extensive farming, and then gradually improved models of semi-intensive and intensive farming, and boldly applied high technology.
2016 was really a turning point, Vina Cleanfood invested in opening a shrimp farming area and building a processing factory to add value to shrimp.
“The first Vannamei harvest is really satisfying, we want to prove that Vietnam produces clean, high-quality shrimp that meet international standards, from standard breeding areas to factories processing clean shrimp products for export,” said Mr. Phuc.
From the first successes in building momentum, in 2021 Vina Cleanfood has increased its shrimp farming activities to 90% of its capacity, with 1 main crop, 2 sub-crops and a production of 3,000 tons; 2022 will continue to be raised with 100% ponds, the output will exceed 3,000 tons. The area of each floating pond is 1,200 m2, the average yield is between 8 and 12 tons/crop. In the dry season, the main harvest (harvest 1) is favorable for shrimp farming, since it provides seeds from the end of November of the lunar calendar. A harvest lasts about 3-4 months, the shrimp size reaches 30 shrimp/kg…
wish come true. The quality of fresh standard shrimp is positioned, which has improved the reputation of the Vina Cleanfood brand. “To have that trust, I have to invest to build a clean shrimp farming system, despite the high cost. Improving quality and proper traceability is a way to demonstrate consistency in the challenging journey the company is committed to,” said Mr. Phuc.
However, in the eyes of this business investor, there is a longer vision, which is to find advantages, create breakthroughs, increase competitiveness for Vietnamese shrimp, and new technologies continuously create breakthroughs. Mr. Phuc has realized the transition to high-tech applications and helped shrimp farming turn a new page with lower investment costs but much higher productivity and efficiency.
High-tech shrimp farming in floating ponds by Vina Clearnfood. Photo: Hu Duc.
Clean the shrimp from the heart
Steeped in the memory of the arduous journey to school on My An Island, Thu Thua (Long An) starring Mr. Phuc is a memorized lesson in the aspirations of a farmer’s son from a poor village.
The way to school is hard, each grade is further and further away. Starting your career is sometimes like a game because it is always an endlessly challenging problem. And no matter which path he chose, he eventually dedicated himself to investing in shrimp farming because of his passion and desire to bring Vietnam’s agriculture to a modern state like Israel’s.
After graduating in financial accounting from Can Tho University in 1994, Mr. Phuc accepted a “detour” with more than 15 years of experience working in factories and fish companies. In 2009, at the age of 38, he set up his own manufactory as a paradise garden for his dream of starting a business.
Clean is a word that has been heard since time immemorial, but the company name “Vietnamese clean seafood” is a way of clearly expressing the heart’s desire. Mr. Phuc explained, “Since its inception, I have found that the global consumer trend is not only delicious and beautiful, but also needs to be safe and clean, and therefore the issue of food quality and safety must be at the forefront and meet the high demands the consumer.”
With the establishment of a clean shrimp farming area, the door has been wide open for Vina Cleanfood to facilitate its expansion into the international market. Mr. Phuc shared the good news that the company will continue to invest in expanding a new 30-hectare deep-sea shrimp farm ahead of the new 2023. The new method clean shrimp farming model has 30-40% lower investment than the floating pond shrimp farming model, lower operation cost and higher productivity.
Confident that Vietnam has more advanced shrimp processing technology than other countries, however, Mr. Phuc believes that investing in clean, standard shrimp farming areas ahead of the forecast of the global economic crisis, difficulties and consumer demand will change production costs, quality farmed shrimp will still be solid stand on the market. With technological solutions to gain an advantage, it will help Vietnam’s shrimp industry to increase its competitiveness against other countries in the same industry.
Shrimp breeding and processing technology towards 4.0 technology application, updating technology changes, management in production, management … is not just knowledge agriculture, but devotion. The application of high technology is not only about gaining experience, but also about filling the My Thanh riverbank with stories about clean water sources for clean and sustainable shrimp farming areas.
+ In 2008, Mr. Vo Van Phuc – General Manager of Vietnam Clean Seafood Joint Stock Company (Vina Cleanfood) – was honored to receive the Vietnam Gold Star Award among the top 100 honored companies.
+ In 2021, Vina Cleanfood’s total sales will reach over VND3,000 billion, ranking the company 8th among the country’s shrimp exporters.
+ Since 2016, Vina Cleanfood has invested in shrimp farming and built hundreds of hectares of clean shrimp farming area with new technology. At the same time, the company invested in a second fish processing factory with advanced technology and equipment, bringing the total number of employees to over 3,000, of which 60% are ethnic minority workers.