The Story of the Fences in Noong O

(Baonghean) - To overcome the situation of free-range cattle destroying crops, affecting environmental sanitation, making it difficult to control diseases and theft, recently, people in Noong O village, Huu Lap commune (Ky Son) have effectively implemented concentrated confinement areas.

Quickly tying knots in the fence around his family's cattle grazing area, Mr. Luong Van Phom said: "Now, in the forest and in the fields, everywhere is full of corn and cassava. My family raises two male buffaloes. If we don't zone the grazing area, they will destroy corn and cassava of other families and we won't have enough money to pay compensation." Mrs. Kha Thi Lien said: "In the past, because there was no management or monitoring, when an epidemic broke out, it was very difficult to control and contain it. Since the grazing area was zoned, the epidemic situation has decreased significantly, and people are very excited."

It is known that, in order to change the habit of free-range cattle grazing, the "core" of the village has met many times to discuss and develop a plan to organize cattle and buffalo raising under management by zoning the grazing area; at the same time, promulgating specific penalties in accordance with the actual situation of the locality, thereby disseminating the policy so that people can clearly understand and implement it together. Up to now, in Noong O, every family has a cattle and buffalo grazing area in the forest, the large families have a single plot, the small families share 3-4 houses with fences for grazing. Materials are mostly made from bamboo, those with conditions buy additional barbed wire for reinforcement.

Mr. Luong Van Phom fenced his family's cattle grazing area.

Mr. Luong Van Man, the permanent police officer of Noong O village, excitedly said: The situation of letting cattle roam freely in the past caused many problems related to security, order, and environmental sanitation, sometimes leading to conflicts between households that had to ask the police and village chiefs to intervene and resolve. However, since the families have zoned off grazing areas, the above problems have not arisen anymore, and the people are more united and close-knit...

It is worth mentioning that unlike before, when buffaloes and cows were left to roam freely for months without anyone paying attention, now, in addition to the fact that each household takes turns visiting and supplementing food every few days, the Noong O people have been conscious of preparing food, building barns, and protecting buffaloes and cows from cold and disease. Talking to us, the head of the village, Kha Van Ban, said: The whole village has 99 households, with 500 Thai ethnic people. In recent years, thanks to a clear understanding of the Party and State's policies, people in the village have not only focused on growing crops but also promoted livestock farming to develop the economy. People's awareness of livestock farming has been raised. In the summer, especially during the crop season, people confine their animals in the forest, and in the winter, they bring them back to their gardens to protect them from the cold. Therefore, buffaloes and cows are healthy, the total herd is stable, up to now the whole village has more than 200 animals, with one small household and 5-6 large households.

Thus, with just a simple and not too costly method, cattle grazing in Noong O has become systematic, contributing to stabilizing the farming method as well as preventing diseases and theft... I think this is a method that other localities need to learn and replicate.

Quang An