PH poised to reclaim top rank in prawn export to Japan By Danny O. Calleja

LEGAZPI CITY, Jan 26 (PNA) -– In the 1990s, the Philippines ranked fourth among the top exporting countries of prawn to Japan but diseases hitting local shrimp production and the farmers’ inability to keep up with the required quality caused a massive decline in export.

Today, the country is poised towards reclaiming the lost glory with more hatcheries being put up for a prawn-based multi-commodity enterprise in the country that once again faces huge export opportunity to the same country.

The Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) is supporting multi-commodity enterprises as a development strategy being put up initially through the Visayas State University (VSU) in Baybay, Leyte in order to remove those critical stumbling blocks in prawn production for export.

VSU, according to BAR Director Nicomedes Eleazar in a statement received here Thursday had developed a technology for increased production of prawn and other commodities following a model of an outstanding farmer, Benjamin Gerona Jr.

Gerona added freshwater prawn or “ulang” on top of his existing vegetable crops and tilapia. He had a return on investment of 32 percent on his P34,400 investment.

VSU researchers Veronica Reoma, Nestor Morales and Tamar Mejia Jr., Eleazar found in the study filed with BAR that Gerona’s multi-enterprise system could enable farmers to maximize their earnings, Eleazar said.

When prawn was integrated into farms, studied farms earned a net income of P3,474 in the first cropping, P12,890 in the second cropping, and P16,182 in the third or a total of P32,497. This was based on the VSU-Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) study called “Integrated Giant Freshwater Prawn and Vegetable Production.”

“The production of high value products like prawn will significantly raise farmers’ income. Diversifying sources of farm income is something that BAR supports,” Eleazar said.

VSU’s College of Fisheries has started planning for hatchery expansion since demand for prawn product in Leyte alone has been brisk.

“Farmers could not accommodate demand for prawn. They proposed that they should be taught to put up their own hatcheries which will raise supply of fries. We are helping them to expand the hatchery in strategic areas where it can be more available for farmers for ease of transportation,” Eleazar said.

VSU is further seeking an intensified partnership with BAR on a proposed integrated prawn production.

It targets the local market yet for prawn and yet a nearby export market in Japan awaits huge export opportunities for Filipino prawn producers.

With a replication of Gerona’s systems in his farm in Sogod, Leyte, freshwater prawn production in many suitable areas in Leyte and other Visayas provinces is hoped to help raise national prawn production, Eleazar said.

The technology on freshwater prawn is not yet popularized in Leyte island due to the lack of prawn fingerlings. But the net return in prawn culture and the demand could energize the farmers to shift from tilapia alone to prawn with vegetables along their ponds as trellis and shades for their pond,” he said.

The multi-enterprise commodity system of Gerona involved a 300 square meter (sq.m.) pond for the first cycle, two 300 sq.m. pond on the second and one 300 sq.m. pond on the third cycle.

For the feeds, he used prawn commercial feeds mixed with crushed golden kuhol (golden apple snails), fish trashes, and some leftovers.

The system becomes multi-commodity with the planting of vegetables such as “upo” and squash whose vines complemented growing of prawn as they provided the shade for prawn growing which apparently helped raise yield and income.

An important recommendation of the VSU researchers was for the integration of production of freshwater prawn fry or seed as part of technology for which farmers should be trained and ensure that they have easy access to seed supply and that they may also have this in disease-free form since disease may cause a major loss for prawn farmers.

Southern Leyte is recognized to be suitable as a prawn farming area. Specifically, with clay soil in the ponds, water has higher retention property. Other parameters for a good prawn pond are the maintenance of a water pH of seven to eight, dissolved oxygen of three to seven parts per million, and temperature of 27 to 30 degrees centigrade, Eleazar added. (PNA)
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