July 10, 2013
White spot disease broke out in shrimp farms in Vietnam
An outbreak of white spot diseases in six provinces and cities across Vietnam has been ravaging shrimp farms with brackish water, according to the country's Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The affected areas are the central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Ninh Thuan; the Mekong Delta provinces of Tien Giang and Ca Mau; and Ho Chi Minh City. Of these, Ca Mau is the worst hit.
About 1,843 hectares have been damaged due to
white spot disease and 2,797 hectares have been damaged due to Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Syndrome.
The Animal Health Department has proposed to localities to hasten measures to cope with diseases. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide farmers with 95 tonness of chlorine to disinfect shrimp farms.
According to relevant authorities in the Bac Lieu, Soc Trang and Tra Vinh Provinces of the Mekong Delta, Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Syndrome and white spot disease have ravaged more than 22,000 hectares of shrimp farms in the first six months of the year. A long spell of hot weather and unseasonal rain have also proved conducive to spread of diseases.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has already agreed to support a one-year project in Vietnam to control the spread of shrimp disease. In recent months, the disease has broken out in southern provinces, affecting 30,000 shrimp farming families.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the funds will be used to employ international and domestic consultants, acquire new breeding shrimps and pay for equipment and lab activities to determine the causes of the disease. The FAO will also help improve biological safety in shrimp farming and develop a strategy to manage aquatic products.
