High-tech shrimp farming takes the lead

Changing production practices

Within the broader fisheries sector, brackish water shrimp farming remains highly vulnerable to weather fluctuations, disease outbreaks, and market volatility. In 2025, Da Nang’s shrimp output reached nearly 30,000 tons, up 3.2% compared to the previous year. However, disease outbreaks continued to spread across multiple localities, significantly affecting production outcomes. Against this backdrop, high-tech shrimp farming has emerged as an inevitable trend, prompting farmers to shift from traditional methods to modern, technology-driven production processes.

Leveraging clean seawater resources, many shrimp farming models in coastal communes such as Duy Nghia, Thang Truong, Tam Anh, Tam Xuan, and Nui Thanh have invested in multi-stage water treatment systems using advanced technologies. These systems supply water for both nursery and commercial ponds. Farmers are increasingly adopting super-intensive whiteleg shrimp farming models in two- to three-stage systems, combined with solid waste separation and water recirculation techniques.

Closed-loop systems treat wastewater from ponds through sedimentation, mechanical filtration, and microbial supplementation to remove impurities and toxic gases, then recirculate it back into the ponds. This approach not only conserves water but also minimizes disease risks, reduces environmental pollution, and enhances productivity and investment efficiency.

A standout example is the shrimp farming model of Pham Dinh Chuong in Hong Trieu village, Duy Nghia commune. Previously, his family relied on unroofed earthen ponds and operated at high stocking densities, resulting in unstable yields and a high risk of disease. After transitioning to high-tech shrimp farming, he invested in 20 circular, lined ponds and installed a Biofloc-based water treatment system to control the farming environment.

With this approach, survival rates during the nursery stage exceed 90%. Throughout the rearing process, water is not replaced; instead, probiotics are added to maintain environmental stability, reducing feed consumption by more than one-third compared to conventional methods. In the commercial phase, shrimp experience low mortality rates and achieve yields exceeding 40 tons per hectare, delivering high economic returns.

Each year, his model supports four to five production cycles, compared to only about two cycles in traditional systems. Each harvest yields around 50 tons of shrimp. With market prices ranging from VND 180,000 to 240,000 per kilogram, revenue per crop exceeds VND 10 billion. Since adopting high-tech farming, total revenue has reached approximately VND 100 billion, and net profits have exceeded VND 36 billion.

According to Chuong, the most significant shift lies in the production mindset. Farmers no longer rely solely on experience; they now adhere to standardized technical processes. The application of two- to three-stage farming models enables better control from the nursery phase through commercial production, reducing disease risk and improving yields.

Emphasis on water monitoring

Also embracing high-tech shrimp farming, Nguyen Xuan Can in An Tran village, Thang Truong commune, has prioritized strict water quality control. According to him, alongside disease-free breed stock, water management is the decisive factor for success in whiteleg shrimp farming.

He has installed an automated environmental monitoring system that operates 24/7, tracking parameters such as alkalinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity. Smart sensors measure these indicators directly in the ponds and transmit data via 4G to his mobile phone. Based on system analysis and alerts, farmers can promptly adjust conditions and mitigate disease risks.

In addition, Can has invested in an automated bottom-siphon system for all its shrimp ponds. With simple smartphone commands, the siphon valves automatically remove waste, leftover feed, and shrimp shells from the pond bottom, keeping the environment clean. This reduces manual labor, saves time and costs, and eliminates the need for frequent physical inspections.

According to Can, optimizing water conditions enables shrimp to grow faster and more uniformly, a critical factor in intensive farming that directly contributes to higher productivity and better product quality. With strict control of environmental factors such as pH, alkalinity, salinity, and temperature, shrimp grow steadily, generating tens of billions of VND in profit per crop.

Field visits by Da Nang authorities have confirmed the outstanding effectiveness of these high-tech shrimp farming models and recognized them as a sustainable approach with minimal environmental impact. The city has tasked the Department of Agriculture and Environment, along with relevant agencies and localities, with facilitating investment and scaling up these models.

Pham Nam Son, Director of the Da Nang Department of Agriculture and Environment, stated that in 2026 the city will continue maximizing its potential to develop ecological and organic agriculture, promote high-tech applications, and restructure the agricultural sector toward higher added value and sustainability. In particular, super-intensive shrimp farming following green, high-tech approaches, combined with stronger linkages among enterprises, cooperatives, and farmers to form efficient closed value chains, will be a key development priority in the coming years.

* $ 1 = VND 26,358 (Source: Vietcombank).