(HBO) – Meeting with pharmacist Do Van Nhuan, listening to his story and looking at how he works, we feel that that he is not only a passionate but also adventurous person when deciding to invest in raising sturgeon in river whirlpools downstream the Hoa Binh hydropower plant.
The sturgeon farm of
Do Van Nhuan’s family creates stable jobs for 10 labourers with an average
income of 6 million VND per person per month.
Most people raising fish in cages choose static water
areas with little wind outside the water flow. On the contrary, Do Van Nhuan
selected the whirlpools to place fish cages. Nhuan shared that "No one has
thought that sturgeon can be raised in Hoa Binh city, especially in the
downstream area of Hoa Binh hydropower plant in Da River. The province had
mapped out a plan to develop coldwater fish in Hien Luong, Dong Nghe, and Suoi
Nanh communes in Da Bac district. Before putting fish cages in the river in Tan
Hoa ward, Hoa Binh city (the old location of the Thia ferry station), I had thoroughly
studied various parameters from summer and winter temperatures to water flow
rates. In October 2015, I started investment as I discovered that in the
whirlpools the water is cleaner with more oxygen, thus making the fish move
around more, resulting in high-quality fish products.
"Following legal regulations to run investment
is the most important matter to ensure stable and long-term production and
business,” Nhuan said, adding that he had the fish cage locations, the origin
of fish fry and food, and environmental protection checked and approved by competent
agencies such as port authorities, waterway traffic inspectors, environmental
police, animal health and fisheries sub-departments. Therefore, all of his 80
fish cages, which had a total area of nearly one hectare of water surface, were
located in positions not blocking the passing of boats on the river. The feed
is checked to ensure it does not contain antibiotics and growth stimulants.
Waste discharged during the process of caring for fish is brought ashore. Dead
fish were collected to make fertilizer. Particularly, Nhuan uses his knowledge
in pharmaceuticals to grow medicinal plants to prevent diseases for fish. He
said "Hoa Binh has many kinds of plants which can be used to make antibiotics
for animals, including fish. By that way, the fish are clean and healthy, thus well-liked
by customers.”
Among the 80 fish cages of Nhuan’s family, except
for some raising Duong Nghiep tilapias, most house sturgeons with 800 fish per
cage. As sturgeon is popular on the market, the fish has become a new choice
for farmers engaging in fish cage raising in Da River. The production and trade
of sturgeons have helped generate jobs for 10 labourers with an average income
of 6 million VND per worker per month. His family’s first products were
introduced at the socio-economic achievement exhibition on the occasion of the
130th founding anniversary of the province, and 25th anniversary of the
provincial re-establishment. The fish were sold on the market (mainly
Hanoi) at the minimum
weight of
3 kilogramper sturgeon and average price of 250,000 VND per kilogram.
In the first quarter of 2024, the credit institutions in the province have actively deployed the legal documents of the State and the State Bank relating to currency, credit and interest rates. At the same time, they have promoted the capital mobilization, focusing on the solutions to expand the credit investment along with strengthening the credit quality management, lending to priority programs to promptly meet the capital needs for export - business and consumer demand during Tet in 2024.
Outside the key economic region of Hoa Binh, yet Lac Son district has utilised its potential and strengths regarding labour, land, and transportation connectivity to attract investment to the locality, contributing to promoting socio-economic development.
In a move to expedite the execution and disbursement of the 2024 capital plan for ODA projects, aiming for a disbursement rate of over 90% of the allocated funding, the Hoa Binh People's Committee issued Document No. 483/UBND-KTN on April 3, 2024, regarding such efforts.
Nguyen Van Thap from Kim Duc hamlet, Vinh Tien commune, Kim Boi district, has built the brand of Hoa Qua Son for local fruits. His efforts have brought about income for his family and generated job opportunities for locals, helping hundreds of households escape from poverty.
The Hoa Binh administration was entrusted by the Prime Minister with a budget of 3.43 trillion VND (142.91 million USD) for investment in 2024. The provincial People's Council approved nearly 3.76 trillion VND, which has been meticulously allocated to projects, achieving 100% of the assigned capital plan.
Hoa Binh province has mobilised all resources to propel local agricultural products to make inroads into foreign markets, towards lifting the export turnover of key agricultural products to 137.8 million USD by 2030, accounting for 3.4% of the locality’s total export value of goods.
The locality aims to export farm produce to the US, the European Union, the UK, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.