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Giant freshwater prawn farming in Supanburi, Thailand

Year of publication 1979

Pages p.8

Author Somsuk Singholka, (Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Chachoengsao (Thailand). National Freshwater Prawn Research and Training Centre);Fisheries and Aquaculture Management Division

Product type Project

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Amongst all the Thai people who earn their living from rearing aquatic animals, to be able to culture freshwater prawns has been a long present hope. The obstacle that impedes business development in this field is a lack of technical understanding; there is, for instance a belief that: cannibalism during pond rearing will cause low yields prawns will not grow in ponds prawns will not have a chance to grow because predatory fish and other predators will attack them in the early stages of re aring. However, the development of prawn culture is greatly and genuinely handicapped by lack of experience and the difficulties in obtaining sufficient juveniles and mature prawns for culture purposes from their natural breeding grounds. Recently, the Department of Fisheries of the Royal Thai Government established a programme to determine the necessary data for producing juvenile prawns under controlled conditions. The Chacheongsao Fisheries Station is one of the stations conducting these experiments. During 1977, freshwater prawns were hatched and reared there so that some juvenile prawns could be stocked in private ponds in some 23 provinces in order to collect and study data on growth and survival rates. Supanburi is one of the provinces where many inhabitants are extremely interested in freshwater prawn culture. Some already had experience in fish culture, which is considered advantageous for those wishing to culture prawns. Being a new enterprise in its infancy there is a co nsiderable amount of work yet to be done to bring prawn culture to full maturity. However, the successful result obtained by the culturists of this province may serve as a guide for those who are interested and at the same time serve as a basis for promoting deeper interest amongst them. It is hoped that these annotated results will encourage them to devote themselves to prawn culture without hesitation.

Cite this content as:

Singholka, S. 1979. Giant freshwater prawn farming in Supanburi, Thailand. 8 p.

Language English

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