For a buyer, seeing the ponds in person is the best way to trust a supplier. For the farm owner, every guest who walks in is a risk of bringing disease into the ponds. Those two interests pull against each other, and a visit succeeds only when both sides feel safe.
Visiting a shrimp farm is not simply one stop on a buyer delegation's itinerary. It is an activity that must be designed around biosecurity from the start. Organizers should understand this before promising buyers any point on the program.
Why farm owners hesitate to host guests
Vietnam's veterinary authority says acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) and white spot disease remain serious problems in the main production areas. Most cases appear within about 15 to 60 days after stocking, year round but most often from March to September. A farm-level study in Bac Lieu also found that fish-eating birds were significantly associated with AHPND, with an odds ratio of about 8, and recommended covering ponds with nets alongside stronger biosecurity.
From the farm owner's side, a bus of guests is a test of the whole disease-prevention system they built with great effort. So do not treat a farm's refusal or long list of conditions as a lack of cooperation.
Common measures
An FAO workshop document on biosecurity lists the following, and many farms apply part of it:
- Limit visitors, vehicles, birds and other carriers entering the farm area.
- A hand-washing station with soap or sanitizer at the entrance.
- Footbaths and tyre washes.
- Clear warning signs at points where areas change.
- Change footwear or use the farm's boots.
These measures reduce risk but do not remove it. An article from the Global Seafood Alliance notes that contact time in footbaths and vehicle dips is often too short, mud or organic matter weakens disinfectants such as chlorine, and visitors often do not understand why they must comply, which makes compliance hard. The article concludes it is better to restrict visitors to designated areas than to let them roam.
Rules to set when visiting a shrimp farm
- The farm decides. The technical lead or farm owner has the last word on where guests go, who may enter and when.
- Few people, clear schedule. A small group is easier to control than a large one, and every name should be known in advance.
- Do not visit two farms on the same day unless both agree, since many farms see this as a cross-contamination risk.
- Park vehicles outside the farm area. Guests walk in, or use the farm's own treated vehicle.
- Change into the farm's footwear or boots. A guest's clean shoes can still carry mud from elsewhere.
- Guests stay at the designated observation area, do not touch pond water, do not go down to the pond, do not feed, and do not bring in food or drink.
- Do not bring equipment used at another farm, such as sampling gear or nets.
Responsibility and visitor commitment
A short commitment page, in which guests confirm they have read and understood the biosecurity rules, makes everyone take it more seriously and gives the farm a basis for reminders. The organizer should arrange travel and accident insurance for the group, while the farm keeps the right to stop or shorten the visit if it sees a risk, for example signs of disease in a pond or guests not complying. Agreeing on this right beforehand avoids arguments right at the pond bank.
Alternatives if the farm cannot host
If a farm declines because of a sensitive period, options remain: show buyers the lab or feed store, show a harvest pond instead of a newly stocked one, show video and drone photos, or meet the owner at an office or plant. What matters is not pressuring the farm to break its rules to suit the itinerary.
What to send buyers before the trip
Send a one-page set of rules at least a week ahead: biosecurity rules, what to bring and what not to bring, the meeting point and a contact phone number. Tell buyers to report if they recently visited another farm in another country, since some farms require a declaration. Professional buyers usually understand and respect this because they have their own rules at their plants. A full-day itinerary is suggested in the article on the itinerary for a shrimp farm visit for buyers, and preparing the farm's records is in the article on hosting buyers at a shrimp farm.
When you need someone to design a safe visit
If your shrimp company, farm or association wants to organize visiting a shrimp farm for a buyer delegation while keeping biosecurity intact, from route design and rules to on-site coordination, you can send a request through the quote page or book a call with Nguyễn Anh Trung. Tell us the farming region, the farm type and the expected number of guests so we can discuss options.
Protecting the pond matters more than making an impression, and a good buyer understands that.