DOST's Small Entrepreneur Technology Upgrading Program (SET UP)

by Benjie S. de Yro

A university professor in this capital town who is a recipient of the "Ulang project" under Small Entrepreneur Technology Upgrading Program (SET UP) of the Department of Science and Technology has produced the biggest ulang or fresh river prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) compared to the same specie produced by Regions 5, 6, 9 and 12, according Director Urduja Tejada.

"The fish farmer-professor identified as Enrico Santos whose farm is located at Barangay Marana here harvested 12 piece per kilo, breaking the existing record harvest of the Bicol region which registered 20 pieces per harvest," Tejada said.

The project is in collaboration between with DOST and the World Fish Center which provided technical assistance through the latter's Aquaculture Scientist Hermogenes Tambalque.

"We assisted five other regions in the country and this is the first time we were able to harvest such sizes," Tambalque said.

Prior to last week's ceremonial harvest attended by both agencies and other fish farmers in the area, Santos already has a ready market for his produce which he intends to sell at P350 a kilo.

From his 600 square meter pond, he will be able to net an income of P40,000 or a return of investment of 75 percent. He said he will develop another pond for his ulang as a result of such encouraging income which he earned in just four months.

Santos revealed that during the first two months, he spent almost 40 bags of commercial feeds until DOST and World Fish introduced to him the green feeding technology.

As the name suggests, vegetable waste are chopped and blanched as an alternative feeds to the prawns. The technology, Santos admitted, saved him production cost as his commercial feeds dramatically dropped from 40 bags to only 4 bags during the last two months of the operation.

DOST provided Santos with 4,000 pieces of post larvae ulang which he seeded in June.

Tejada expressed hope that with more production at less expense, other fish farmers will likewise venture into ulang culture as alternative to rice and corn production.