Improving the quality of livestock: Need to raise awareness of livestock farmers

(Baonghean) - Improving and enhancing the quality of livestock is of great significance in restructuring the livestock industry, increasing production value, and creating a strong position in the market. However, the number of high-quality livestock in our province still accounts for a low proportion of the total herd. Therefore, the work of improving and enhancing the quality of livestock is very urgent.

Sow farm of Mr. Nguyen Quang Dai, hamlet 7, Nam Xuan (Nam Dan).

The movement to develop Sind crossbred cattle breeding is developing quite strongly in 9 communes along the Lam River of Hung Nguyen district. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hai - Hamlet 9B, Hung Long Commune (Hung Nguyen) is currently raising 2 Sind crossbred bulls. According to Mr. Hai, at the same age, when buying a Sind crossbred bull, the initial weight is 2.5 - 3 quintals/head (1 quintal higher/head than the previous yellow cow breed), after 1 year of selling meat, the weight is 7 quintals/head, earning over 20 million VND/head. Also in one year, two Sind crossbred bulls can breed 200 to 300 crossbred calves. If the same time of selling from 4 - 5 months, compared to the yellow cow breed, the product of Sind crossbred calf has a beautiful figure, meat weight of 75 - 80 kg/head (compared to 35 - 40 kg/head), the meat price is 280 - 300 thousand VND/kg, 80 - 100 thousand VND/kg higher, the value of the meat calf reaches 10 - 18 million VND/head. Every year, Mr. Hai earns over 45 million VND from the work of breeding cows and raising Sind crossbred cows for meat sale.

Hung Nguyen district currently has over 17 thousand cows. Of which, the number of Sind crossbred cattle increases rapidly according to the annual cycle, reaching nearly 8,400. In the past two years, the district's beef output has reached 1 thousand tons, with an income value of over 10 billion VND/year. Ms. Ba Thi Dung - Specialist of the Department of Agriculture of Hung Nguyen district, said: In addition to the province's support mechanism, the district has a support mechanism for areas raising Sind crossbred cattle for reproduction and fattening. Accordingly, 10 million VND is supported for households raising 10 or more Sind crossbred cattle (along Lam river area), households raising 5 or more (middle and outer areas of the district), 70 thousand VND/dose of semen and 20 million VND for farms raising 20 or more Sind crossbred cattle (difficult communes of Hung Tay, Hung Yen Bac, Hung Yen Nam). The district's goal by the end of 2015 is to strive to have 25 thousand cows, of which about 80% are Sind crossbred cows.

Nam Dan district currently has over 37 thousand pigs, of which 25 thousand are crossbred pigs. People mainly switch to raising crossbred pigs with 50 - 70% foreign blood, mated with foreign pigs or purebred foreign pigs for a high lean meat ratio of 53 - 54%, after 3 months of selling, reaching a weight of 80 - 100 kg/head. Mr. Tu Duc Thanh - Department of Agriculture of Nam Dan district, said: The district has issued a policy of "Sindizing the cattle herd, lean meatizing the pig herd" so it promotes the import of foreign pig breeds Dai Bach, Be Du, Yocsia, supporting 30% loan for basic construction, supporting 50% interest within 2 years for farms raising 20 or more foreign sows. Currently, the whole district has 348 livestock farms, accounting for over 50% of the total number of farms. Of these, there are 19 farms raising foreign sows, 10 households raising pigs with a scale of 17 crossbred pigs, 15 households raising pigs with a scale of 85 foreign pigs for direct breeding in the communes of Kim Lien, Nam Anh, Nam Thanh, Nam Xuan. The whole district currently has 3 farms raising foreign sows with high technology in association with CP Company (Thailand), with a scale of 5,200 foreign sows in Nam Loc, Nam Xuan, Nam Hung, the output of selling breeding pigs is nearly 58 thousand pigs/year, bringing in revenue of billions of VND/year.

Thus, it can be seen that improving the quality of herds, investing in industrial-scale livestock farming, and rapidly increasing product value are sustainable directions in livestock farming today. However, as of April 2014, Nghe An had 672 thousand buffaloes and cows, but only nearly 38% of the total herd were Sind crossbred cattle; the total herd of pigs reached over 1 million, but the herd of foreign pigs only reached 15 - 20%. Therefore, the work of improving and improving the quality of livestock, especially cattle, is very urgent, in order to increase the competitiveness in the integration of the livestock industry of our province.

Mr. Ngo Vinh Son - Deputy Director of the Provincial Livestock Breeding Center, said: The work of improving and enhancing the quality of livestock is carried out according to two main methods, which are artificial insemination and direct mating. Implementing Decision 09 of the Provincial People's Committee, in creating cow breeds and improving buffalo breeds, breeders are provided with 100% of the cost of semen for buffaloes, dairy cows, beef cows, mating materials and supported with 50,000 VND/pregnant cow, supported with 60% of the value of male buffaloes from other regions. Particularly in Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Que Phong districts, 80% of the value of male buffaloes from other regions, crossbred bulls for meat, the norm is 25 - 30 breeding cows are arranged with 1 male bull... Accordingly, each year the province supports about 20,000 - 23,000 doses of Zebu and Brahman semen to improve local cattle breeds for intensive production towards meat. In 2014, the center is implementing the work of insemination of 30 thousand doses of cow semen by artificial insemination, supporting 20 bulls for 4 mountainous districts of Anh Son, Thanh Chuong, Tuong Duong, Que Phong. Along with the cow herd, the work of improving the buffalo herd is carried out by using Mural buffalo semen to mate with selected female herds to create good crossbred calves. Currently, the whole province has 50 crossbred calves of Mural buffalo in 3 districts of Thanh Chuong, Tan Ky, Nghia Dan, the growth rate increased by 12 - 15% compared to the domestic buffalo breed. In 2014, the province provided 500 doses of domestic and foreign buffalo semen to distribute to continue improving the buffalo herd in 3 districts of Anh Son, Do Luong, Nghia Dan. For the pig herd, Pidu male breed is currently used for breeding, using semen of Dai Bach, Landrat, Duroc pigs for breeding with female sows (farms) and foreign sows (farms) to create high-yield hybrid pig products, mainly concentrated in Hung Nguyen, Do Luong, Dien Chau, Nam Dan... The work of improving the livestock herd is developing in the right direction, effectively positioning the province's livestock industry.

Mr. Luu Cong Hoa - Head of the Animal Husbandry Department, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, added: "The province's policy does not raise the issue of increasing the total herd, but focuses on increasing the total value of fresh meat for sale, the quality of livestock products". Accordingly, the work of improving livestock herds is closely linked to the development of medium and large-scale livestock farming in the form of farms and family farms. In addition, it is necessary to continuously maintain the scale and form of household production according to the lean technology method, suitable for regional conditions, with average competitiveness such as pork and poultry products so that farmers in remote areas have the conditions to participate in agricultural growth. This is also an important content in the restructuring of the livestock industry in our province today.

However, in order for farmers to focus on improving the quality of their herds, it is necessary to continue to carry out propaganda work well so that people understand the importance of herd improvement; have a coordination mechanism to strengthen control of breeding stock, animal feed, and diseases in livestock and poultry; at the same time, promote the construction of a production chain from breeding - breeding - slaughter - consumption to improve quality and ensure food safety and hygiene.

Luong Mai