Mekong Delta Expands Sugpo Prawn Area to 560,000 Hectares
Mekong Delta provinces have raised the total sugpo prawn area to 560,000 hectares, up by 27,000 hectares from last year, according to the Aquaculture Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The expanded area is mostly in Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Kien Giang, Tra Vinh and Ben Tre provinces.
The department said in 2008, polluted environment and low quality breeding shrimp have caused massive death of shrimp in 148,000 hectares, of which Ca Mau reported 57,790 hectares; Kien Giang, 40,000 hectares; Soc Trang, 28,000 hectares; and Bac Lieu, 19,000 hectares.
The death caused huge loss of VND165 billion to local farmers.
Currently, sugpo prawn breeding profited only 45 per cent of households in Mekong Delta region.
The shrimp is now offered at VND95,000-VND100,000 per kilogram, up slightly from previous months thanks to high demand from local processing plants. (The People)
Vietnamese
