Getting Rich from Sand Dunes

Concerning Quang Binh, there was once a poem wondering why annual disasters sweep away everything to the sea. However, the tough land has brought up people with determination, strength to change sand dunes in scorching sun into property. Among those, Mr Nguyen Van Sy, Director of Duc Thang Joint Stock Company is a pioneer, credited with some remarkable successes.

 

Many people were surprised to when Mr Nguyen Van Sy, an official, took a daring decision to invest to grow shrimp on sand dunes. Mr Sy said that, realizing the potential in the sand dunes of the peninsula commune Bao Ninh, which is near the sea and a convenient water supply, and separated from residential areas, he decided to set up his business on sand dunes.

 

With the norm “short term result” for sustainable development, Mr Sy decided to invest in the direction of gradually raising scale. So far, the industrial shrimp raising farm on the sand dunes of Duc Thang Joint Stock Company has expanded over 40 hectares of ponds and lakes with productivity of 5 tonnes shrimp per hectare per year, bringing about high economic profit.

 

Developing the model of raising shrimp on sand dunes, Mr Sy recognized the potential of combining fishery and tourism. According to the proposed agenda that Duc Thang Company is implementing, the sand dune area will include a resort and shrimp raising farm. Mr Sy expects this strategic direction to bring about sustainable development, with turnover from raising shrimp used to ensure the resort’s off-peak operation.

 

Being one of the pioneers to raise shrimp in Quang Binh sand dunes, Mr Sy faced certain difficulties. First is finding the capital for production. Mr Sy said that despite activeness in production plan, aiming at short term results, current escalating inflation caused many difficulties for the company. In addition, although the plan to expand production and establish an eco-tourism resort combined with raising shrimp on sand dune has been approved, land transfer activities do not take place smoothly.

 

Mr Sy shared his expectations that in near future, Quang Binh’s sand dunes will have ponds for shrimp surrounded by casuarinas forests, which both makes an appropriate tourism landscape and yields economic efficiency. It is hoped that in Quang Binh one day, the plan of Mr Sy and the staff of Duc Thang Company will come true, from which the model of raising shrimp will be developed to improve the life of residents here.