Industrial foodstuff for lobsters has been produced successfully, a prospect of replacing fish, current food for lobsters and developing lobster breeding in the country more stably...
Industrial foodstuff for lobsters has been produced successfully, a prospect of replacing fish, current food for lobsters and developing lobster breeding in the country more stably.
In Vietnam, raising lobsters is developing rapidly but has met some difficulties in breeders and foodstuff. Raisers cannot take the initiative in breeder source, which relies on the nature. Fish, foodstuff of lobsters, are not unstable, depending on seasons, and expensive.
For sustainable development of lobster breeding, the Ministry of Science and Technology has commissioned a research team led by Associate Professor, Doctor Lai Van Hung, Head of Salt Water Aquaculture Department, Institute of Aquaculture, Nha Trang University to research about nutrition demand of lobsters to produce industrial foodstuff for them. Starting from 2010, Associate Professor, Doctor Lai Van Hung and his coworkers did a project to study about nutrition demands, ingredients and technologies to produce foodstuff for two kinds of lobsters Panulirus ornatus and Panulirus homarus. After that, he was entrusted to be chief of a project to complete technology to produce industrial foodstuff for the two kinds of lobsters. The project, presided over by Nha Trang University, belongs to Key State Science and Technology Program for period 2011 – 2015.
Made from January 1, 2012 to June, 2014, the project carried out 5 parts, including: Researching ingredients of foodstuff for breeding and grown lobsters, Researching digestive enzymes of lobsters, Completing manufacture process of industrial foodstuff for lobsters; Evaluating process through quality of products, and Evaluating quality and Drafting standards for food pellets for lobsters. Up to now, the project has set up ingredients of foodstuff for breeding and grown lobsters. The manufacture process also has been completed and its test line is operating with 100 kilogram/hour in productivity.
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| A machine to produce foodstuff for lobsters |
According to the researchers, lobsters raised experimentally by the industrial foodstuff have shown fast growth, low feed ratio and high survival rate. The results are better than ones fed with fish as usual. Engineer Nguyen Van Vinh, a member of the research team, revealed, “Feed ratio by fish for 1 kilogram of lobsters is 20 – 30 kilograms, costing VND300,000 – VND500,000 while it needs 4 -5 kilograms of industrial foodstuff, costing only VND200,000, for the same weight of lobsters. The industrial foodstuff contains reasonable nutrients, help lobsters absorb well. Some vitamins added to its ingredient can increase resistance to lobsters. The industrial foodstuff also save cost as well as labor and prevent environmental pollution.”
According to Associate Professor, Doctor Lai Van Hung, who has pursued researching industrial foodstuff for lobsters for many years, the current production line is still small, only enough for the project. After the project is checked and taken over, its technology will be transferred into industrial production, partly developing lobster breeding sustainably.
T.T
