Viet Hong Township (Tran Yen District, Yen Bai Province) has favorable natural conditions for the development of cold-water fish farming. In recent years, some households have developed sturgeon breeding models using local potential, which initially achieved some success, helped increase income and opened a new way of life.

Viet Hong Municipality has the advantage of topography, with clean and cold water always flowing plentifully and stably from the high mountains, along with a cool climate all year round that provides suitable conditions for raising cold-water fish such as .

After visiting, learning techniques and sturgeon raising experience in many places like Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Son La… Mr. Dao Van Phu and Mr. Hoang Van Binh joined forces in 2019 in Na village in the Municipality of Viet Hong Together, they invested in the construction of a sturgeon breeding facility with a size of more than 2,300 m2, with 11 aquariums and 24 breeding tanks, in which mainly Siberian breeds of sturgeon are reared. Up until now, the sturgeon farm has been able to raise commercial sturgeon and provide breeding animals to other farms both in and outside the town.

Mr. Dao Van Phu, owner of a sturgeon farm in Na Village, shared, “Thanks to the continuous inflow and outflow of water, the fish population is thriving and offering high productivity. This is a fish of high economic value and not all places can breed it. Currently, the production of fish meat is consumed by restaurants both inside and outside the province, so it’s quite reassuring that the price of commercial sturgeon fluctuates around VND200,000/kg on average.

The sturgeon is a species of fish known by the scientific name acipenser. This is a very large freshwater fish and can live up to 150 years. The sturgeon is also a species classified in the cartilaginous fish genus, a fish delicacy with high nutritional value, which is easily processed into many dishes favored by consumers, and this is also a breeding object with high economic value. .

However, the sturgeon is considered a fastidious species that requires more stringent living conditions than other freshwater species, such as The pH of the water is between 6.5 and 8.

According to Mr. Phu, the sturgeon hatchery and commercial breeding is not very meticulous, but requires high technology, especially to ensure an adequate supply of clean, cold water, disinfect the water temperature, and adjust the standards so that the fish are less susceptible to disease and grow and develop well. The fish feed is not too picky, mainly industrial feed, but shrimp and small shrimp can also be fed. With each litter, Mr. Phu’s institution can raise 5,000 children, the production is more than 10 tons, the revenue is nearly VND 1.5 billion.

Commercial sturgeons reared for about 15 months reach a weight of 2-2.5 kg/head or more and can be sold. The market for seeds and commercial sturgeon consumption of Mr. Phu’s establishment is mainly located in the province and neighboring provinces. The average selling price is VND 15,000-17,000/fish of 15 cm size/fish. Commercial fish has an average price of VND 200,000-250,000/kg, higher than other farmed fish.

There are currently 4 small and medium-sized sturgeon farms in Viet Hong. When these models are replicated, there will be new agricultural species with high economic value and high efficiency, effectively utilizing the potential of cold water resources in the region, contributing to the creation of jobs and increasing incomes for farmers.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Huyen, owner of a sturgeon farming facility in Na Village, said: At present, there are some sturgeon farming facilities in the area, which bring very high economic efficiency. After advice, study and technical assistance from Mr. Phu, his family decided to invest more than VND 200 million in constructing a sturgeon pond in 2022. Mr. Huyen’s establishment imports Mr. Phu’s fish farm and only focuses on raising fish for meat. In 2023, Huyen started raising the first batch of sturgeon, hoping to achieve the expected economic results.

Mr. Trieu Khanh Thien, Chairman of the Viet Hong Commune People’s Committee, added: Given the natural benefits of water resources and climate, the local government is currently coordinating with the district’s functional branches to continue pursuing supportive measures to encourage the sturgeon breeders At the same time, they set up households and cooperatives for sturgeon farming in order to network closely with each other in the breeding and consumption of products.

For a sustainable development of sturgeon farming, in addition to sufficient natural conditions in terms of environment and climate, both the places and the people planning the development of sturgeon farming must have sufficient financial potential to invest in infrastructure to ensure its correct application of technical processes in seed production and commercial agriculture.

In particular, local authorities need to coordinate with specialized sectors to align and plan production areas, focusing on environmental protection, especially disseminating and mobilizing households to participate in production so that they can build product brands and find stable and long-term consumption markets .