Material Sources

Brief introduction of Tra fish culture

Tra fish originates high in Tolé Sap of Cambodia. In Vietnam, Tra fish is primarily bred in the Mekong Delta regions. Tra fish has been reared in farms along the Mekong River since the 1950s. From 1990 until now, it has been commercialized.

Traditionally, Tra fish is farmed under rafts and along the Tien and Hau riversides, the two biggest tributaries of Mekong River. Very early, techniques under rafts have been developed and reaped great achievements, though, it faces obstacles: scale, high investment cost, etc. Therefore, a new technique in Tra fish culture which has been accelerated since 2003 is farming fish in ponds. Since then, it has been applied in most of the farms, along with farming fish under rafts.

Fish culture in ponds

Fish-pond preparation

Fish-pond has an area of 500 square meters or more, and is 1,5-2 meters deep. Pond edge is sturdy and higher the highest water level of the year. Sewers must be designed to be easy for water drainage. Before farming fish, preparation steps must be carried out as follows:

• Dry up the pond; catch all fish out; clean the alga, weeds at the pond bed and edge.
• Dredge liquid mud at the pond bed, only the bed mud 0,2-0,3 meter thick is left.
• Backfill the holes, repair the ponds.
• Scatter the powdered lime from 7-10 kilograms per 100 hectares over the bed and edge of the pond.
• Sun dry the pond bed from 2-3 days.
• Eventually, slowly pour water into the pond via the sewers with filter cloth to prevent harmful fish and epidemics.

Farming seedlings fish

The farmed fish must be strong, healthy, equal-sized, not be scratched and has lots of slimy.

Ideal size: 10-12 cm, 50 - 100 gram/fish.

Farming density: 15-20 fish/square meter.

Aquatic feeds

Using materials available at the local and co-processing properly to ensure the protein content of 15-20% . Here is the list of some aquatic feed ingredients for references

How to feed fish:

• All materials must be ground and fully mixed with the adhesive substances to avoid the disintegration of the feeds. Then, gradually feed fish with a small amount until it eats all.
• Two times a day at day and night.
• Feed proportion of 5-7% per net weight of fish.

 Management and care

Monitoring fish’s progress of eating feeds to adjust properly. At the start of feeding fish, they jostle together to eat feed since they get hungry. When they get full, they drive apart.

Though, Tra fish can adapt to the condition that the density is high and pond water rarely changes. Yet, attention should be paid that water must be exchanged periodically to make the environment clean and prevent fish from being infected with illness. Renew water from 1/2 to 1/3 of the previous water every 10 days and supply sufficient clean water to the pond.

Harvest

Time for faring fish averages 10 months. Fish will reach 0,7-1,5 kilogram/fish. We can harvest one time and retain baby fish which does not reach the product-commercialized size.  After the harvest, pond must be dried up to prepare for the next harvest.

With self-supply of more than 50% of input materials to the factory, as well as well-experienced and professional staff in the fields of purchasing input materials in the area, IDI actively works out plans for production and control over drugs during the culture process so as to ensure clean and fresh materials source right from the start of production lines.