December 19, 2013 

The early mortality syndrome (EMS) has cost Vietnamese shrimp farmers losses of VND30,000 billion (US$1.4 billion) in 2012, however, loss in 2013 has been reduced due to biofloc technology (BFT), which is expected to help farmers control EMS in upcoming years.

Biofloc technology is defined that shrimp farming ponds will be accumulated some microorganism and water will not be changed in farming process. The technology was applied by some farmers in some central and Mekong Delta provinces.

Some provinces implemented co-cultivation of shrimp and tilapia together with BFT in a farming pond which proved its effectiveness. In the coming time, BFT will be further researched to suit for natural conditions of Mekong Delta before being transferred to farmers.

Minh Phu Corp, a Ca Mau-based shrimp exporter, is combating EMS on its shrimp farms by BFT. In 2013, the company stocks shrimp on the area of 20 hectares where tilapia is thrown. Accordingly, the dead shrimp caused by EMS has been reduced remarkably.

Farmers in Soc Trang, a Mekong Delta-based province, co-cultivated shrimp with red snapper this year and dead shrimp caused by EMS fell significantly, leading to increase in shrimp output. Local farmers without the measures of controlling EMS suffered from the shrimp mortality during the first 30 days of stocking which made up 30-70% of total stocking area.

Other producers such as China and Thailand are combating EMS by the above measures which seem to be effective. With measures to control EMS, Thailand's shrimp sector has seen a recovery. The country's shrimp output in 2014 is projected to hit 300,000 tonnes, 50,000 tonnes higher than that of 2013 and may reach 500,000 tonnes in 2016.

China's shrimp production in 2013 is expected to reduce by 30% from 2012 due to EMS and its shrimp output will rise in 2014 brought about by EMS-controlled measures.

The disease first appeared in China in 2009 and has since migrated to Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia, costing producers billions of dollars in losses. The disease is now appearing in the south of Mexico.