Fox Village raises chickens under the Care project.

(Baonghean)The project "Strengthening the Voice and Participation of Ethnic Minorities in Poverty Eradication," implemented by the Irish Embassy in collaboration with Care International in Vietnam, has yielded practical results after more than two years. In Cao village, Nghia Mai commune, Nghia Dan district, a model of raising chickens for high economic value has emerged...

Ms. Truong Thi Nhat, from Cao village, Nghia Mai commune, Nghia Dan district, is one of the households raising chickens under the Care project. She said that during the recent Tet holiday, her family sold over 50 kg of Mong chickens, earning nearly 10 million VND. This was the third time she received money from selling chickens since the Care project supported her family with 50 chickens and provided guidance on proper breeding and disease prevention according to the age of the animals. Now, because the selling price of Mong chickens is still quite high, from 180,000 to 200,000 VND/kg, fearing difficulty in selling them, Ms. Nhat's family only kept 5 good breeding chickens for future crossbreeding. The rest of her farm currently has about 200 free-range chickens, each weighing around 0.5 kg.

Nghia Mai commune is one of the localities benefiting from the Care project. The Care project differs from previous poverty alleviation projects in that all support models are entirely based on the needs of the people, who decide what livestock to raise and what crops to grow. Project experts are responsible for providing specific advice to the people regarding the natural characteristics, climate, and suitability of the farming or livestock raising.

Raising chickens under the Care project in Cao village, Nghia Mai commune (Nghia Dan district).

For all support models, the Care organization provides hands-on guidance. This has helped people fully grasp advanced scientific and technical knowledge in building barns, raising livestock, disease prevention, digging holes, and applying fertilizer properly. A prominent example of a livelihood development model for impoverished people in Nghia Mai commune is the Mong chicken farming model in Cao village.

At the end of 2011, when seven Tho ethnic households received 350 Mong chickens to raise, 50 per household, a bird flu outbreak occurred in Cao village. However, to test the effectiveness of this new chicken farming method, supported by the Care project's assistance with breeding stock, detailed guidance on the farming process, and other costs, the villagers focused on creating a model farm. As a result, not a single chicken from the project contracted the disease. After four months of raising the Mong chickens, the results showed that over 90% of the households had sold their first batches, earning significant profits.

The Care project in Nghe An province held a review and evaluation of livelihood models around June 2012. Currently, Cao village in particular, and other communes in the province supported by the project, are still effectively implementing these models. In Cao village, Nghia Mai district, not only have there been no outbreaks of avian influenza, but the Mong chicken breed is also thriving, with F1 and F2 generations, and large flocks of free-range chickens in the gardens of many households.

Currently, in Cao village, not only are there 7 households benefiting from the Care project who are raising chickens safely, but many other households have also learned very practical farming knowledge from the Mong chicken farming models to develop their own flocks.

Duong Cam (Provincial Radio Station)