Cow and pig prices fall, goat farmers still have stable income

(Baonghean.vn) - In recent years, raising commercial goats has become a direction chosen by many people in Anh Son district.

After many investments in raising different breeds such as cows, pigs, etc., Ms. Nguyen Thi Tai, village 9, Hung Son commune, realized that raising goats is the most effective because in addition to investing little capital, it also takes advantage of the terrain near the mountains, available food sources, and does not require much care.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tai, village 9, Hung Son commune, takes care of her family's goats. Photo: Huyen Trang

Initially, Ms. Tai's family only raised 3 goats, but thanks to the application of science and technology in raising goats, the herd has grown to 28 goats. To improve the quality of meat goats, Ms. Tai also improved the herd by buying crossbred goats to raise.

On average, each year, Ms. Tai's family's female goats give birth to 2-3 litters/year, with each litter having 1-3 kids. After 6 months of raising the goats, they can reach a weight of 22-27 kg before being sold. With a price of 110-130 thousand VND/kg, Ms. Tai can earn at least 2.5-3 million VND for each goat.

As for the family of Mr. Nguy Huy Thang, village 5, Phuc Son commune, Anh Son district, goats are the main source of income for the family. Realizing that goats are easy to raise and bring high income, he expanded from the initial 6 goats to 30, including more than a dozen female goats for breeding.

According to Mr. Thang, to raise goats economically, it is necessary to apply science and technology from the stage of selecting breeds to the stage of care. The barn is simple but ensures that it is sturdy, dry, clean, and keeps the goats warm in the cold season and cool in the dry season.

Mr. Thang said: Raising goats is quite favorable at this time. Unlike the price of cows and pigs which are falling, the price of goats is still stable at 110-130 thousand VND/kg. After deducting all expenses, Mr. Thang still earns 60 million VND/year.

For the family of Mr. Nguy Huy Thang, village 5, Phuc Son commune, Anh Son district, goats are the main source of income for the family. Photo: Huyen Trang

Currently, Anh Son district has hundreds of households raising goats with a herd of up to 20,000, concentrated in communes such as Thanh Son, Binh Son, Tam Son, Cam Son... To improve the quality of the total goat herd in the district, in 2016, Anh Son Agricultural Extension Station implemented a model of "goat herd improvement" to create hybrid goats with large weight and fast growth.

Accordingly, the Anh Son District Agricultural Extension Station surveyed and selected 4 households in Hung Son commune, each household took on the responsibility of raising 20 female goats for local breeding.

Goat farmers are excited because goat prices are stable at 110-130 thousand VND/kg. Photo: Huyen Trang

Ms. Dau Thuy Trieu, an officer at the Anh Son District Agricultural Extension Station, said: Participating in the model, each household is supported with a male goat of the Bach Thao goat breed and 50% of mixed feed and veterinary medicine costs. The total implementation cost is 51 million VND..After herd improvement, the average weight of the baby goats is 2.4-3kg/head, 30% higher than that of local goats.

Developing goat herds in the direction of commodities is a direction that brings stable income to people, thereby contributing to the transformation of the agricultural economic structure of Anh Son mountainous district.

Huyen Trang