"Breakthroughs" from livestock farming models

(Baonghean) - For a long time, Nghi Loc has been utilizing its potential in poultry farming, such as chickens and ducks, to develop its economy. Recently, Nghi Loc has made a "breakthrough" in livestock farming. Many households have boldly entered into joint ventures and partnerships to invest capital in livestock farming using advanced technology, which has initially yielded positive results...

From raising lean foreign breed pigs

Mr. Tran Van Dinh's high-tech farm, raising imported sows, is located in Khe Lo area, Nghi Cong commune. Built in a valley spanning nearly 8 hectares, it's surrounded by lush green pine hills. This is considered the largest lean sow farm in Nghi Loc district today. Upon entering the farm, we were surprised by the strict, closed-loop procedures followed in every step. Before entering the breeding area to take photos, we had to use a "disinfectant" shower, then were given protective clothing and boots to wear before entering the pens. Mr. Le Anh Tuan, the farm manager, explained that the farm is a partnership with CPI Thailand, built between 2011 and early 2014. The company provides support in veterinary medicine, technical assistance, and product purchasing after the farm owner completes the investment in building infrastructure that meets the required technical standards, with an investment value exceeding 30 billion VND.

Mr. Tran Van Dinh's lean pork farm in Nghi Cong (Nghi Loc).

The farm is built in a highly scientific and rational manner. The pig pens are divided into separate areas including: gestation pens, farrowing pens, gilt pens, and breeding pens. All pens are equipped with air conditioning, air filtration, and ventilation fans to remove odors. In addition, the electrical and water systems are built synchronously, and the waste treatment facility includes a biogas system and five biological ponds to ensure waste treatment. To date, the farm has received 1,200 imported sows, and the breeding process has stabilized, with the sow herd developing healthily. It is projected that by the end of October 2014, the farm will sell its first batch of piglets, averaging 300 farrowing sows per month and 2,000 piglets per month. Mr. Dinh's farm currently provides employment for over 40 workers with salaries exceeding 4.2 million VND per person per month.

Meanwhile, in Nghi Van commune, Nghi Loc district, Mr. Truong Van Hai has partnered with several households to establish Tam Thai Investment and Development Joint Stock Company. The company is currently building a farm for breeding foreign breed sows and fattening pigs, with a capacity of 3,000 fattening pigs and 500 breeding sows. The 3.5-hectare breeding area features 5 rows of barns, built on a closed-loop system and utilizing high technology such as automatic pig feeders and a disinfection spraying system. The wastewater treatment system includes 2 biogas tanks and 4 biological ponds. The total investment for the project exceeds 12 billion VND. Once operational, the farm will create stable employment for over 40 local workers.

...Visiting an Australian cattle farm

Following Provincial Road 534, we visited Mr. Nguyen Van Sy's farm in Hamlet 2, Nghi Lam Commune, Nghi Loc District, which is considered the largest and most extensive Australian cattle farm in the province. Mr. Nguyen Van Sy shared his story about how he started raising Australian cattle: “Through our research, we found that although market demand is high, the beef and buffalo farming industry in Vietnam is developing slowly, even declining, and the quality of domestic beef and buffalo meat is not high. Meanwhile, the supply of live cattle from Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia is decreasing, and the selling price is high. On the other hand, live cattle imported from Australia, New Zealand, and ASEAN countries into Vietnam only incur a 5% tax, while fresh beef and buffalo meat are taxed at 14-30%, and imported frozen meat also at 14-20%. Therefore, we decided to invest in building a farm to import Australian cattle for fattening and sale to the domestic market.”

With that mindset, in 2013, Mr. Sy invested over 15 billion VND in building a farm on a nearly 6.5-hectare plot of land, which was put into operation in early 2014 with a capacity of 3,500 cows. “We went to Australia to sign a contract and only raised 2,000-2,500 cows. We fatten them up in a process of 25-30 days before selling them. The Australian cows are brought in by sea from Cua Lo port and then transported by truck to the farm,” Mr. Sy said. The farm also hired livestock engineers to quantify feed and monitor diseases for the herd. In addition, upon arriving in Vietnam, the Australian cows are fed grass and corn like traditional domestic cows, instead of the rather expensive industrial pellet feed they received in Australia. Therefore, in order to provide fresh feed for the cattle herd, the farm has signed contracts with households in Nghi Van and Nghi Lam (Nghi Loc district) and many households in Tan Ky, Quy Hop, and Nghia Dan districts to grow grass, corn, and sugarcane, supplying over 40 tons to the farm every day.

All of this feed is machine-cut, dried, and stored for the cows. The effectiveness of raising Australian cattle is very clear; in just one month of fattening, the weight of each cow usually increases by 15-20 kg. From the beginning of 2014 to the present, this facility has imported over 8,000 Australian cattle, mainly for consumption in Hanoi, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, and some southern provinces. Even in Nghe An, three slaughterhouses for Australian cattle have been established in Nghi Phu commune. Mr. Nguyen Van Si's Australian cattle farm in Nghi Lam has created jobs for over 40 workers with stable salaries.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Tho, Head of the Agriculture Department of Nghi Loc District, said: Nghi Loc District currently has 256 livestock farms and small-scale farms, including 50 large-scale farms. However, only 3 farms have invested on a large scale and with closed-loop systems. Households invest their own capital through joint ventures and partnerships; the district only provides support of 50 million VND per farm meeting the criteria, along with additional funding for vaccinations, sprayers, and refrigerators for vaccine storage. Currently, Nghi Loc is continuing to plan the development of livestock farms and encouraging individuals, businesses, and households to form joint ventures and partnerships to develop large-scale, closed-loop, high-tech livestock farming. Nghi Loc has many areas far from residential areas suitable for large-scale livestock farms, concentrated in the communes of Nghi Kieu, Nghi Lam, Nghi Cong Bac, Nghi Cong Nam, and Nghi Dong.

The initial success of high-tech livestock farms in Nghi Loc has opened a new direction, shifting from small-scale, outdated farming to large-scale, concentrated, and sustainable farming, contributing to job creation and improving people's lives. However, to develop high-tech farm economics, Nghi Loc needs preferential loan support from the State to build infrastructure, as the investment capital for building each farm typically ranges from 12 to 30 billion VND.

Van Truong