Profitability improvement for brine shrimp Artemia franciscana commercial farming in coastal saltworks in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: A bioeconomic analysis

Abstract

The live feed demands of the global aquaculture industry depend highly on Artemia production in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. However, the production and profitability of Artemia farming in the Mekong Delta have been affected by environmental and technical challenges. This study presents a cost and return analysis on Artemia franciscana farmed in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam by considering the interaction effects of farming scale and production model for improving Artemia production and profitability. The data were obtained from 94 farms, and the key factors affecting profitability were identified according to economic principles and multivariate statistical analysis. The results highlighted that the profitabilities of Artemia farms were significantly affected by farming scale, production model, and the interaction between these factors (p < .001). Farms applying a cyst and biomass model achieved more profit compared to those applying a cyst model. The greatest profitability was recorded for a small-scale cyst and biomass model. In order to improve profitability, besides applying the cyst and biomass model and maintaining optimal stocking densities, a moderate increment of organic fertilizer and chemical inputs are essential to assure better nutrition and water environment for optimal growth of Artemia biomass and their reproductive activities. For further sustainable development, however, good collaboration between scientists and feed processing companies is suggested to commercially produce specific formulated feeds to satisfy Artemia nutritional demands and ensure environmental protection.