Ben Tre: Lack of blood cockle seed for new crop
(vasep.com.vn) In 2013, farmers in Ben Tre province harvested 1,008 MT of cockle, 104 MT lower than that of 2012. The harvest volume fetched farmers VND40.32 billion. In 2014, harvest output of cockle is expected to continue the decline due to lack of cockle seed for new crop.
Wild cockle seed in the locality is increasingly reducing while cockle seed purchased from other provinces showed high mortality of 85 percent due to unfavorable weather conditions and unsuitable farming environment.
Cockle farmers can harvest 5-6 MT on the area of 0.1 hectare. Cockles sold at VND25,000 – 28,000 per kilogram and fetch high profit to farmers. Currently, its price reached to VND60,000 per kilogram. However they are not available in the province due to many local farmer can not continue to farm this species because of climate changes and seed shortage.
In recent years, climate changes negatively impacts on blood cockle resources, leading to sharply reduced seeds.
The local authorities are called to seek ways to recover resources to ensure cockle seed supply for farmers to contribute to poverty reduction in the province.