May 31, 2016

Drought damages 81,000 hectares of Vietnam shrimp ponds

Over 81,000 hectares of shrimp-breeding areas in eight Mekong provinces in Vietnam have been damaged by the prolonged drought, according to the latest assessment of the Department of Aquaculture under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

A spokesperson of the aquaculture department said the environmental conditions and hot weather had caused freshwater shortages and an increase in salinity, which are unfavourable conditions for shrimp breeding.

Cà Mau, the largest shrimp-farming province, was reported to have suffered the biggest losses, estimated at VND260 billion (US$11.5 million), followed by Kiên Giang, Bạc Liêu and Sóc Trăng. Earlier in April MARD reported that some 2,700 hectares of shrimp ponds in Cà Mau and around 1,360 hectares in Bạc Liêu had been damaged due to drought.

In April Cà Mau reported a shrimp shortage, with the supplies at only 37%-38% of processing workshops' capacity.

Salinity in rivers in Cà Mau reached 3.6-4.2% and 4-5.5% in breeding ponds. The salinity in areas far from rivers was higher than in coastal areas in the province.