The breeding experience of loach farmer Xiao Changyou

    "This year, with the support of the county Science and Technology Bureau, we broke through the key technology for artificial breeding of loach. So far, we have bred 6 million loach fry and sold 3.2 million, and together with income from selling marketable loach, we expect this year's income to reach more than 200,000 yuan." On August 4, Xiao Changyou, president of the fishery breeding association of Wangchang Township, Yibin County, told this writer cheerfully.

    Xiao Changyou did a detailed calculation: 1 high-quality female loach can breed 4 times a year, producing and hatching 10,000 loach fry each time, with a market price of 200 yuan per 10,000 fry, giving income of 800 yuan from selling loach fry; subtracting the 10 yuan cost of raising 1 female loach, the net income per loach is 790 yuan. However, the key is still the technical problem. For a long time, loach products have mainly been caught by hand from rice fields, streams and rivers and other waters. Due to excessive fishing, natural resources have been severely damaged, output has declined year by year, and the market has been in short supply, with loach prices reaching 14 yuan per jin. The Yibin County Science and Technology Bureau made the artificial breeding of loach a key supported project of the county's special economic fish breeding program this year, selected 2 science and technology commissioners to provide technical support, and established a cooperation platform with the Yibin breeding fish farm and municipal and county experts. Under the guidance of the science and technology commissioners, Wangchang Township fishery association farmers Xiao Changyou and Xiao Changxi collected more than 400 brood loach at their own expense and conducted an artificial induced spawning and breeding experiment on April 17, breaking through the key technology for artificial breeding of loach.

    It is understood that Xiao Changyou has built a standardized breeding demonstration farm of 40 mu, including 1 loach breeding pond of 1 mu. More than 200 brood loach have this year bred 6 million loach fry, sold 3.2 million loach fry, with income of 64,000 yuan, and are expected to breed 12 million loach fry for the year; together with income from selling marketable loach, the full-year sales income is expected to reach more than 200,000 yuan. 

    "Next I will build standardized marketable loach breeding demonstration sites in surrounding townships such as Gaochang, Kongtan and Ninan, to drive nearby farmers to do a good job in loach breeding," said Xiao Changyou.