Quirino fish farmers join pangasius bandwagon

CABARROGUIS, Quirino – The bandwagon for pangasius fish farming has caught up in this province with more fish farmers availing of the new technology to propagate the “new darling of the aquaculture industry." Also known as the Mekong kanduli, it having originated from the rivers of Vietnam, pangasius is noted for its delectable white meat and is less expensive than the lapu-lapu, snapper and the dorado. According to fish expert Dominador Abalos, pangasius fingerlings which were fed with a mixture of 60 percent commercial feeds and 40 percent kuhol (golden snail) fared even better with an average weight of 712.5 grams than those fed with commercial or synthetic feeds, which only produced an average weight of 676 grams after a six-month culture period. “The savings on feed expense translate to 45.75 percent return on investment as against 20 percent only for the treatment on pure commercial feeds," Abalos explained. “Pangasius can easily grow to more or less 1 kilogram in 6 months. However, the fish also requires more feeds as compared, for example, to tilapia," he said. “Our stocks in Isabela reached an average of 550 grams apiece within six months. Although weight gain is lower, we can still have income as the stocks were fed purely with surplus vegetables and fruits, and also kuhol. " he added. Pangasius farming was also successful in Nueva Vizcaya with one fishpond owner declaring that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ (BFAR) support and technology has given him more profit by harvesting around 1,076 kg within an area of 406 square meters and yielding an average of 1 kg apiece. According to BFAR Cagayan Valley regional director Jovita Ayson , this project is just the latest among a roster of cost-cutting and productivity-enhancement technologies introduced this year. “We encourage our fish farmers who are interested in these technologies to visit our office for proper technical advice, especially now with the ongoing financial crisis," Ayson said. The country currently imports forty 20-footer container vans of pangasius flesh each month and costs around 200 pesos per kilogram at local supermarkets. - GMANews.TV