Tags: Aquaculture
By Anna Valmero
BAYBAY CITY, LEYTE—Prawn hatcheries in Visayas can help make the Philippines one of the largest prawn exporters to Japan by establishing more hatchery facilities to meet demand, according to the Visayas State University (VSU).
VSU developed a technology to increase prawn production following a multi-culture model of outstanding farmer Benjamin Gerona Jr.
After adding ulang or freshwater prawn on top of his existing vegetable plantation and tilapia farm, Gerona achieved a 32 percent increase on return on investment from his P34,400 seed capital – proof that a multi-enterprise system could maximize a farm’s earnings, according to VSU researchers Veronica Reoma, Nestor Morales and Tamar Mejia, Jr.
A study by the researchers found that farms with prawn earned a total net income of P32,497, which is broken down to P3,474 in the first cropping, P12,890 in the second cropping, and P16,182 in the third.
“Farmers could not accommodate demand for prawn. They proposed that they should be taught to put up their own hatcheries which will raise supply of fries. We are considering to expand the hatchery in strategic areas where it can be more available for farmers for ease of transportation,” Reoma said.
Aside from the local consumption, nearby export market in Japan awaits huge export opportunities for Filipino prawn producers. Prawn or shrimp consumption in general has been declining in Japan but its shrimp import value was placed at $1 to $2 billion per year toward 2010.
In the 1990s, the Philippines ranked as the fourth largest shrimp exporter to Japan next to top producer Thailand, Indonesia, and China. Diseases hitting local shrimp farms and the inability of Filipino farmers to meet quality prawn caused the Philippines’ declining export.
Thailand now ranks as the world’s largest shrimp exporter, capturing one-fifth of the global market or about $2 billion annually.
By replicating of Gerona’s systems, freshwater prawn production in in Leyte and other Visayan provinces is hoped to help raise national prawn production, said Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) director Nicomedes Eleazar.
The multi-enterprise commodity system of Gerona involved a 300 square meter pond for the first cycle, two 300 sq.m. pond on the second, and one 300 sq.m. pond on the third cycle.
For the feeds, he used prawn commercial feeds mixed with crushed golden kuhol (golden apple snails), fish trashes and kitchen leftovers.
The system becomes “multi-commodity” with the planting of vegetables vines such as upo and squash. The trellises compliment prawn culture as they provided the shade for the growing prawn.
Farmers were advised to convert part of their tilapia pond into an ulang pond by allocating only 300 sq.m. of their farm area.
An important practice is the changing of 50 percent of the prawn pond water after every two weeks in order to halt molting. Maintenance of clean pond water also prevented algae growth.
Related stories:
Dried fish production is a thriving industry in Naga
What’s on DoST’s five-point agenda for 2012?
NGO helps urban poor through creative livelihood trainings
DA promotes aquaculture in mangrove areas
Fresh seafood is a thriving business for this Surigao eatery
Advertising Agribusiness Agriculture Airline Industry Aquaculture Automobiles Banking Car Accessories consumer elec Consumer Electronics Consumer Goods and Concerns Cooperatives Cottage Industries Death Entrepreneurship Filipinos Abroad Food Establishments Groceries and Shopping Centers Handicraft Handicrafts hardware Hardware Solutions Horticulture Internet Livelihood Programs Malls Mass Media and Communications Mobile Phone Industry OFWs Outsourcing Real Estate Software Solutions technology Technology Industry teleco Telecommunications Tourism Transportation Vermiculture Wholesale and Retail
WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck and Luke Morton requires Flash Player 9 or better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
