Fish farming village in Vam quarter gears up for the Tet season

Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026 is just around the corner. These days, visiting the fish farming craft village in Vam quarter (Trang Dai ward, Dong Nai province), one can easily feel the bustling, lively atmosphere spreading across local ponds. From early morning to late afternoon, people take time to care for and feed the fish, pull nets for harvest, as traders go in and out busily. Everyone is excited because this year’s fish crop is not only favorable in terms of weather but fish prices also remain at a high level, promising to bring a prosperous and fulfilling Tet to local people.

Nguyen Van Thuan (left) at the fish pond, preparing for his family’s sale during Tet. Photo: An Nhon

Fish farmers excited

According to long-time fish farming households in Vam quarter, the weather this year is quite stable, with few major fluctuations, creating very favorable conditions for many freshwater fish species to grow and develop. Fish have experienced few diseases, low loss rate, and higher productivity than in some previous years. Especially, commercial fish prices continuously stay at high and stable levels for a long time, adding motivation for farmers to feel secure in investment and care.

With fish prices fluctuating around 17-18 thousand VND/kg, farmers can already earn a profit. But this year, prices are much higher so everyone is happy. Specifically, pomfret is currently priced at about 19 thousand VND/kg; tra fish from 20–20.5 thousand VND/kg; vo dem fish about 25–26 thousand VND/kg. With fish in high demand, traders are coming directly to ponds ready for harvest to buy on site.

On a day at the end of January 2026, we followed Trang Dai ward officials to visit the fish farming craft village in Vam quarter. After turning from provincial road 768 into So Quyt road, and going about 2km further, a large fish pond area with an area of hundreds of hectares comes into view. The atmosphere here becomes much more bustling, with households busily caring for fish, some feeding fish, others pulling nets for harvest, amid calls back and forth and the steady hum of  water pumps… All create a vivid picture of labor in the days approaching Tet.

While showing us around his more than 7,000-square-meter pond where the two main fish species are raised, including tra fish and vo dem fish, Nguyen Tan Hao (residing in Vam quarter) couldn’t hide his joy. Hao said the family had just sold one batch of fish with an output of more than 10 tons. With the current high prices, his family has a relatively good source of income.

“Normally, my family waits until just before Tet to start harvesting, so that the fish can grow larger and sell at higher prices. But this year, my family decided to sell early so we could afford to organize my wedding. Current fish prices are already very good, enough for my family to arrange a decent wedding and still have a surplus for shopping and other Tet expenses,” Hao shared.

Attached to fish farming for more than 10 years, Hao’s family has gone through many ups and downs, especially periods of “good harvest but low prices, good prices but crop failure”. However, thanks to their persistence in the trade and good calculation, fish farming has helped his family overcome difficulties, gradually stabilize and improve life.

“My family sells about 3 batches of fish each year, with every batch ranging around more or less 10 tons of fish. Our average revenue each year fluctuates around 600 million VND, after deducting costs, our profit is about 250 million VND. This is my family’s main source of income”, Hao added.

Similarly, the household of Pham Van Hinh (residing in Vam quarter) has also just sold more than 20 tons of fish, generating a significant source of income for his family. Taking advantage of high fish prices, his family continues to care for and fatten the next batch to be ready for sale after Tet.

Hinh said: The family rents and invests in a pond area of about 4ha to raise two main fish species, pomfret and tra fish. After more than 10 years in the trade, despite many difficulties and challenges, he has never lost heart and and has remained determined to find a suitable path forward. As a result, his family economy has become increasingly stable, and their quality of life has also improved.

“I apply the overlapping farming method, selling about 3 batches of fish each year with a total output of 50-70 tons. This year, fish prices are stable so income is also quite good”, Hinh expressed.

Concentrated fish farming area

When it comes to fish farming in Vam quarter, many people often mention Nguyen Van Thuan who is considered as a leading figure in local fish village. With more than 20 years in the trade, Thuan has been a pioneer in successfully applying large-scale and sustainable fish farming models in the locality.

One of the creative ways helping fish farmers reduce costs is partnering with companies and enterprises to collect leftover food from workers for use as fish feed. Each barrel (over 200 liters) costs about 250-260 thousand VND, both saving feed costs and providing a nutritious food source that allows the fish to grow faster, produce better-tasting meat, and be favored by the market.

Currently, Thuan owns a fish farming area of about 20ha with 7 large and small ponds, making his household the largest-scale fish farmer in Vam quarter. He chooses the overlapping farming method to ensure fish are available for sale all year round. On average, the amount of fish in his family’s ponds always fluctuates from 250 to 300 tons. Each month, he sells about 45-50 tons of fish, bringing a significant source of income to the family. Not only does Thuan run a successful business, but he also provides regular jobs to local laborers with income of about 300 thousand VND/person/day.

Pointing to a pond area of about 2.2ha, Thuan said: In about a week, his family will harvest their Tet fish batch with an output of more than 50 tons, including tra fish, pomfret and vo dem fish. “With current fish prices, my family can make a profit and be able to enjoy a full and happy Tet”, Thuan said excitedly.

According to long-time residents in Vam quarter, fish farming has been practiced in the area more than 20 years ago. Initially, it was spontaneous and small scale. Seeing the model bring economic efficiency, many households boldly learned from it and inveted in the practice, gradually forming a specialized freshwater fish farming area with increasingly large scale.

Currently, Vam quarter has about 20 households earning their livelihoods through fish farming, with a total farming area of nearly 200ha. People constantly innovate production methods, boldly abandoning ineffective traditional farming to shift to applying modern techniques aimed at sustainable development. People pay attention to stages from selecting breeds, care, pond management to water environment treatment, disease prevention… Thanks to that, the fish output and quality are increasingly improved, while market outlets have become more stable.

With positive signals from the market and the proactiveness of farmers, the fish farming craft village in Vam quarter is entering the Tet season with great belief and expectation. Full fish ponds not only provide a stable source of income but also help bring a prosperous, joyful and warm Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026 to local residents.

By Thanh Nhan - Translated by Diec Quyen, Thu Ha