Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development

CARD Project Progress Report
002/05/VIE: Technical and economic feasibility of
applying the Better Management Practices (BMP) to
household aquaculture in Vietnam

MS4: FIRST SIX-MONTHLY REPORT

February 2007

1
1. Institute Information
Project Name
Technical and economic feasibility of applying
the Better Management Practices (BMP) to
household aquaculture in Vietnam
Vietnamese Institution

Australia (UWA)
Email:

or


In Australia: Administrative contact
Name:

Telephone:

Position:

Fax:

Organisation

Email: In Vietnam
Name:
Dr. Le Xan
Telephone:
030.827124 or
04.8271368
Position:
Vice Director
Fax:
04.8273070

economic viability and environmental sustainability of farms in this sector are threatened
by poor farming practices that lead to disease outbreaks, environmental degradation; crops
contaminated with chemical and antibiotic residues and decreased yields. Pilot–scale
Better Management Practices (BMP) can, and have been applied to large commercial
aquaculture ventures in Vietnam, with outcomes of improved yields and quality,
environmental sustainability and reduced risk of disease. However, difficulties arise in the
administration of BMP to small-scale household farms because of financial constraints,
lack of knowledge and little incentive or initiative to adopt BMP. The overall objective of
this project is to investigate the effectiveness of BMP application to household farms and
to develop methods to initiate BMP within this sector. The project will use consultative,
incentive, demonstration, training and dissemination methods that are appropriate to the
needs and abilities of household farmers.
3. Executive Summary
The 002/05/VIE project made excellent progress after six months of implementation. The
project commenced 30th August, 2006 and all inputs planned for the first six months, have
been achieved and almost all milestones have been met or exceeded. After the project
commenced, two meetings between the project director, project co-ordinator and Fisheries
Extension Department of three provinces, namely Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Thua Thien-Hue,
were organised to discuss the co-operation between the project officials and project
provinces. As a result, a plan of co-operation was developed and contracts of cooperation
were signed. The provinces nominated extension workers who work in fieldwork positions
during the project implementation. Project areas and three demonstration farms in each
province were selected. A semi-structured questionnaire was designed to analyse the current
status of shrimp aquaculture, and identify incentives and constrains of BMP application in
the three provinces. 30 shrimp aquaculture farms in each province were interviewed. The
data from the survey are currently being analysed and the results compiled into a formal
report. The overview of BMP for shrimp culture in Vietnam compared with other countries
facing similar conditions and circumstances has been completed. The inception workshop
was organised with 45 participants including project staff, provincial fisheries offices,
extension workers and shrimp farms. The attendance of directors of Fisheries Department

Vietnam’s Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (CPRGS), which is
aligned with CARD program strategic framework.

Approach and strategy:
The project will involve three stages: a) analysis of current status of household aquaculture
practices and identification of incentives and constraints for BMP implementation; b)
development of appropriate BMP guidelines and manuals for household aquaculture through
participatory on farm and community trials; and c) building capacity for BMP
implementation and opening dialogues with exporters, traders and processors to explore
market incentives for BMP promotion.
For the first stage, the project must begin with a review of the literature and experience
concerning BMP in the region and move to analysis of current small farm practices and the
current production, health and resource status of household farms, and incentives and
constraints to BMP implementation. The baseline study will be used to gain experience in
methods to derive relevant information as well as equip research staff and fisheries officers
with a comprehensive picture of the present status of household aquaculture in three
provinces of Vietnam. At the end of the first phase, a draft action plan and sites for BMP
demonstration will be prepared and selected by involved stakeholders.
For the second stage, the project will focus BMP demonstration on two main shrimp
aquaculture systems namely i) semi-intensive and ii) improved extensive which are
considered as the dominant shrimp aquaculture models in the North Central region of
Vietnam. Selected small scale aquaculture farmers from these two types will be encouraged
to form aqua-clubs or associations for BMP demonstration. The roles of demonstration
farmers from these groups are in consultation with staff from RIA1, UWA and local
extension centers to select appropriate BMP to their conditions and to maintain a farm diary
that records all inputs into the trials and relevant indicators as the trial progresses. Through a
participatory process, relevant stakeholders such as farming communities, extension workers,
researchers and fisheries department staff will be participating in BMP selection and
supervision and monitor experimental trials that are being implemented by demonstration


The trials will work with two types of common farming systems practiced by household
farmers: semi-intensive and improved extensive. In the semi-intensive systems, a group of
20-30 farms in each province will be selected and be encouraged to form a club or
association for BMP demonstration. BMP practices will be promoted and shared among
group members throughout the project implementation period. In the first year, each semi-
intensive group will select 1 household farms to demonstrate BMP application through
experiment treatment. To be considered for selection, household farms need to already
conform to some initial criteria for BMP such as appropriate infrastructure and irrigation
systems. In addition, farm size will be limited to 0.5 ha, farmers will need to be willing to
participate in the experiment, and have financial capacity to co-invest with the demonstration
trial. By participatory consultation, RIA1, UWA and farmers and extension workers at
project sites will select suitable BMP for demonstration once the project has been approved.
These may tentatively include: practices of pond preparation, seed certification and stocking,
feed and feeding management, water quality management, disease management, post-harvest
handling and product control. RIA1 staff will conduct seed control and certification for the
trials. Post-larvae that are free of white spot disease (WSD) and Monodon Baculovirus
(MBV) will be approved for use in trials. Hatcheries that can be certified disease-free will be
identified by RIA1 staff and stipulated for purchase of seed. Some data (observation of

4
shrimp health, feed tray clearance, water quality data) will be collected daily by farmers
using field test kits and equipment. Farmers will be given a farm record book to write all
practices, data recordings, seed, and feed and water inputs he/she applies to the farm.
Environmental data (salinity, pH, DO, BOD, NH
3
, NO
2
) will be analysed monthly by project
staff. Shrimp will be checked for chemicals and antibiotic residues one month before harvest
(with specific analysis for contaminants banned by EU). Data on BMP demonstrations will

One 10-day training course in UWA will be arranged for two RIA1 researchers involved in
the project on data analysis and reporting.
Two representatives of EU or Japanese importers/consumers will be invited to participate in
the project workshops and deliver lecture notes on product quality requirements for the
EU/Japanese markets. This will be effective in opening dialogues between producers and
processors/consumers.
2000 copies of BMP manuals for semi-intensive and improved extensive farming systems
will be developed at the end of the project. 5
5. Progress to Date
5.1 Implementation Highlights
The principal achievements to date have been:
1) Contracts of co-operation between CARD 002/05/VIE project and Department of
Fisheries Extension of three project’s provinces were signed;
2) Demonstration areas and household farms in three provinces were chosen for the trial.
3) A questionnaire to analyse the current status of household aquaculture and identify
incentives and constraints for BMP application, was completed. Around 100 shrimp
farm households in three project’s provinces were interviewed collected data was
entered and processed and the resultant report is currently being written and will be
submitted shortly;
4) The overview of BMP for shrimp culture in Vietnam compared with other countries
facing similar conditions and circumstances has been completed;
5) the inception workshop was organised with 45 participants including project staff and
provincial individuals (fisheries offices, extension workers and shrimp farmers)
6) the BMP protocols were developed and commended from shrimp cultured experts,
local fisheries officers, extension workers and shrimp farm households through the
inception workshop.
7) The project office equipment purchased includes: computers, projector, printer and

None addressed to date.
7. Implementation & Sustainability Issues
7.1 Issues and Constraints
Extended contract negotiations and money arrangement have delayed the implementation of
this project. Due to the seasonality of project activities this has caused substantial delays in
project activities. Implementing BMPs for shrimp culture demonstration households and
communities for full two crops of 2007 and 2008 is expected.
While the implementation of the project has been highly successful over the first reporting
period, there was a change of Australian technical expert, Mr. Sid Saxby, who withdrew from
the project due to personal reasons. This problem was solved by the replacement of Mr. Sid
Saxby by Ms. Virginia Mosk.
7.2 Options
7.3 Sustainability
8. Next Critical Steps
1) Organise training workshops on BMPs for fisheries extension workers, demonstration
farmers. Monthly meetings to share BMPs application among farmers for 6 shrimp
clubs in 3 provinces.
2) Monitor parameters of water environment, shrimp diseases and culture techniques
(for the duration of the four month crop in each province).
3) Organise one general training workshop on product quality management for small
producers, extension workers, collectors, traders and processors.
4) Organise three cross province study tours for demonstration farmers and extension
workers in the three project provinces.
5) Australian Project team to visit Vietnam to evaluate project activities, and support the
technology and expertise to improve BMPs protocol.
Project team proposes a change that:
Activities Original plan Revised plan
Visiting of 2 Europe importers to Vietnam October 2007 October 2008
Training of 2 researchers in UWA September 2008 October 2007