New direction to create sustainable livelihoods for Quy Hop people

Changing habits thanks to commercial Quy ducks

Quy gourd duck is a native duck breed with delicious meat and eggs, more nutritious than other ducks, favored by the market and currently being preserved and developed in Quy Hop. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Duck- Native breed, capable of reproduction and providing delicious meat and eggs, high nutritional value, was once popularly raised in Quy Hop, Quy Chau, Que Phong areas. However, due to the small-scale and fragmented farming practices of the people, vaccination has not followed the recommendations, so the efficiency is not high. In addition, because this duck breed is small and grows slower than hybrid ducks, it has gradually disappeared.

In order to preserve the Quy duck breed and transfer effective duck farming methods to farmers, in 2021, the Quy Hop District Agricultural Service Center coordinated with the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center to deploy a commercial Quy duck farming model in Chau Dinh Commune. The model was implemented from June 2021, with a scale of 500 ducks, with the participation of 3 households in Cang village. Households were supported with breeds, feed, veterinary medicine, training in care techniques, how to build barns, disinfect and prevent diseases for ducks in the direction of biosafety.

The Quy duck farming model helps farmers change their small-scale, fragmented farming practices to large-scale, concentrated, commodity farming. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Ms. Vi Thi Tam, a household participating in the model, said: “Previously, the family's livestock was mainly raised in the traditional way, with natural grazing and little disease prevention, so the efficiency was not high. Now, participating in the model, we have access to knowledge of safe livestock farming, and are "hands-on" from how to build cages, how to clean, how to vaccinate... and applying it in practice, we find it much more effective. The ducks grow and develop well, do not get sick, and do not die prematurely.”

After 3 months, the survival rate of ducks reached 95%; average weight reached 2.2 kg/duck; selling price 80,000-90,000 VND/kg, the model earned a profit of nearly 30 million VND. Ms. Le Thi Ngoc - specialist of the Agricultural Service Center of Quy Hop district said: "The biggest gain of the model is changing the farming method, while helping to maintain, preserve and develop local duck breeds. The model has now ended but has been widely replicated by people in many localities in the district, especially the communes: Chau Quang, Chau Cuong, Chau Thanh...".

Breaking monoculture with intercropping method

The model of intercropping legumes in raw sugarcane areas is being replicated in Quy Hop. Photo: Thanh Phuc

In recent years,sugarcaneSugarcane is a crop that brings stable income to many households in Quy Hop district, but due to monoculture, the area of ​​sugarcane cultivation has not really maximized its efficiency. On the other hand, long-term sugarcane cultivation has made the land barren, reducing the productivity and quality of sugarcane.

With the goal of ensuring sustainable development of sugarcane raw material areas, in 2021, the Department of Science and Technology coordinated with Quy Hop district to deploy the model of "Intercropping legumes in newly planted sugarcane fields" in Dai Thanh hamlet, Van Loi commune with a scale of 4 hectares, 5 participating households. Households were supported with 100% peanut seeds, part of sugarcane seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and were instructed on techniques and processes from planting, care to harvesting.

After more than 3 monthsintercropping,The acceptance results show that the yield of L27 peanuts is 1.5 tons/ha, with a selling price of 30,000 VND/kg, people still have a source of income of about 45 million VND/ha/crop, minus expenses, the profit is about 20 million VND/ha/crop. In particular, thanks to intercropping, the soil is loose, fertile, retains moisture and limits weeds, helping people have more income to "take short-term to support long-term".

Not only does it increase economic efficiency per unit area, the intercropping model also helps improve sugarcane growing land and sustainably develop raw material areas. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Although it has only been implemented on a small scale, this method has really opened up a new direction for sugarcane growers to increase income per unit area, and more importantly, gradually change the traditional monoculture production. Currently, the model has been widely replicated in many localities with sugarcane raw material areas such as: Nghia Xuan, Minh Hop, Tam Hop, Ha Son...

Raising earthworms for clean livestock

End of 2021, benefit from the model“Raising earthworms as chicken feed”, Mr. Vo Van Dung, Xuan Dinh hamlet, Chau Dinh commune, was supported with earthworm breeding and techniques along with 300 one-day-old chickens, a portion of food, and vaccines to prevent diseases for chickens. On an area of ​​150m2 of worm breeding cage, every 45 days, a batch of 150 kg of earthworms is harvested, both as food for a flock of 300 chickens and for sale on the market at 100,000 VND/kg.

Faced with the pressure of skyrocketing animal feed prices, the earthworm farming model has proven its "double" effectiveness in providing a source of quality animal feed while ensuring clean animal husbandry. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Mr. Dung shared: “Before, poultry feed depended on industrial bran and rice and corn; but now, benefiting from the agricultural extension model, I have mastered the technique of raising earthworms, so I am completely proactive in chicken feed, and there are also earthworms for sale to other farmers. Chicken manure is used as food for worms, and worms are used as food for chickens, creating a closed circle, both utilizing waste and ensuring environmental factors. In particular, chickens eat earthworms, which are natural food, rich in nutrients, grow quickly, have firm meat, are delicious and clean, so they are favored by the market.”

It is estimated that after 1 year, the model will generate revenue of about 175 million VND, after deducting expenses, the profit is about 50 million VND. In addition, worm manure is used to fertilize fruit trees, clean vegetables, and pellet fertilizer is used to fertilize orchids, roses, ornamental plants, etc. very effectively.

After deducting the initial investment cost, each year, the earthworm farming model brings in an income of about 50 million VND/150m2. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Mr. Trinh Huu Hien - Director of Agricultural Service CenterQuy Hop districtsaid: “The models implemented in the district have brought a new direction for people in the process of raising livestock and growing crops. In addition to economic efficiency, the change in thinking and production practices has many positive changes: Changing small-scale, fragmented livestock farming practices to concentrated, commodity-oriented livestock farming; knowing how to apply techniques to livestock farming; proactively providing feed for livestock farming, aiming for clean, safe livestock farming; knowing how to intercrop and polyculture to improve the soil, and sustainably develop raw material areas. It can be assessed that the models have opened up sustainable livelihoods for people in mountainous areas in Quy Hop”.