Highland farmers process feed to protect cattle and buffaloes from the cold and prevent disease.

Improve the quality of green fodder.

As winter approaches, the cold weather and fog in mountainous areas significantly impact farming and livestock raising. Therefore, to proactively cope and help livestock survive the cold, farmers have taken the initiative to create sources of green, nutritious feed.

In many communes in Con Cuong district, such as Mon Son, Luc Da, Yen Khe, and Chi Khe, one of the main sources of income for the local people is raising native black pigs and buffaloes and cows. In Thai Hoa village, Mon Son commune, people improve the health of their buffaloes, cows, pigs, and chickens by supplementing their diet with processed feed.

Mr. Vi Van Hai, residing in Thai Hoa village, who regularly maintains a herd of over 10 pigs and over 200 chickens, said that for many years, despite the harsh winter, his family's livestock have rarely been affected by disease or cold weather, thanks to proactively securing a sufficient and nutritious food supply.

Around his house, Mr. Hai grows a lot of elephant grass, bananas, cassava, and corn to make feed for his livestock. He grinds the banana stalks and elephant grass into small pieces, then puts them in a container with added rice bran or ground corn starch to ferment, saving them for rainy, cold days when the buffalo and cattle cannot graze outdoors. As for his chickens, in addition to ensuring they receive all necessary vaccinations, he uses rice, corn, and vegetable by-products as feed according to their age. Laying hens are supplemented with bran, fish, and snails caught in the fields.

"When livestock are well-fed and receive sufficient nutrients, their resistance to disease increases. Combined with providing shelter and not letting them roam freely outdoors during cold and rainy weather, this helps prevent livestock from dying and reduces the risk of disease," said Mr. Vi Van Hai.

In Met village, Luc Da commune, the application of silage to store feed for cattle and buffaloes has helped many large-scale livestock farmers minimize losses to their herds during the cold winter months. For example, Mr. Vi Van Son's farm raises over a dozen 3B cows.

“Because the 3B breed cows eat 2-3 times more than regular cows, I have to grow elephant grass and make silage, and stockpile extra straw to help the herd survive the cold,” Mr. Son said. Observations show that Mr. Son's household makes silage from elephant grass in two ways: in large plastic tanks with a capacity of tens of cubic meters and in plastic containers.

Accordingly, when it rains and the wind turns cold, the feed in the plastic containers is used first, followed by the silage in the plastic tanks. The elephant grass is grown in a staggered manner and then silaged in rotation in the tanks and containers so that the livestock have food year-round.

In Canh Khin village, Yen Hoa commune, Tuong Duong district, besides proactively securing feed sources, the local authorities advise people to limit free-range grazing to protect their livestock and poultry from the cold. The villagers' farms are often located in high mountainous areas, far from residential areas, so letting cattle and buffalo roam freely in cold weather easily leads to death from the cold and disease outbreaks.

Mr. Mong Van Vien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Yen Hoa commune, said that for many years, the commune has implemented a model of fattening cattle to both reduce free-range grazing and improve the quality of livestock, maintaining a stable output of about 250 tons of meat per year. Yen Hoa commune has a total herd of about 3,500 buffalo and cattle, of which more than 2,000 are cattle. To support the fattening of cattle, the people of Yen Hoa have planted 25 hectares of elephant grass, combined with planting bananas, corn, and cassava in an environmentally friendly farm and household farming approach, relocating livestock facilities away from densely populated residential areas.

Proactive disease prevention and control

In addition to providing a source of highly nutritious green fodder for livestock and poultry, people in the highland areas, under the guidance of specialized officials, are also implementing disease prevention and control measures. Currently, African swine fever is still simmering and developing in a complex manner, with thousands of pigs in various localities infected and subsequently culled.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, outbreaks of diseases in livestock and poultry will directly affect the supply for the holiday and the income of thousands of farming households. Therefore, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine regularly directs agricultural service centers, in coordination with local authorities, to implement vaccination programs and inspect and control the spread of diseases in livestock.

In Tuong Duong district, African swine fever has caused damage in many communes, with a total of more than 1,500 pigs having to be culled. The peak of the outbreak was in September-November 2024, when African swine fever occurred in several remote communes such as Nga My, Yen Na, Yen Tinh, and Nhon Mai… However, by early December 2024, many communes had declared the outbreak over, with only a few scattered villages still requiring isolation.

According to Mr. Kha Van Thu, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Nga My commune: Along with the guidance of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the District Agricultural Services Center, the commune promptly implemented measures for households to isolate, prevent the spread of the disease, properly destroy infected pigs, and strengthen vaccination. As a result, the African swine fever outbreaks in Nga My commune have now passed 21 days and have been declared over.

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According to the Provincial People's Committee, the total number of buffalo and cattle in the province is currently estimated at over 796,000, an increase of 0.82% compared to 2023. Of this, the buffalo herd is estimated at over 248,000, and the cattle herd at over 544,000. The total pig herd is estimated at over 1 million, an increase of 3.38%; the poultry flock is estimated at 36.5 million, an increase of 5.36%. The total output of live meat for slaughter is estimated at 285,000 tons, an increase of 4.28% compared to 2023.

According to forecasts from the North Central Region Meteorological and Hydrological Station, from November 2024 to January 2025, several cold fronts are likely to be active, causing severe cold spells, frost, and ice, which could significantly impact agricultural production and the health of livestock.

According to the Head of the Department of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine, in implementing Official Letter No. 5243/SNN-CNTY dated November 26, 2024, from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, relevant sectors and localities are focusing on measures to prevent and combat hunger and cold, minimizing losses to livestock.

The guidelines instruct farmers to prioritize the use of readily available natural food sources (green grass, silage, or dry straw, urea-treated straw, etc.) and provide them at a rate equal to 10% of the animal's body weight; supplement with concentrated feed such as cornmeal, cassava flour, rice bran, etc. (approximately 0.5-1 kg/animal/day). Provide sufficient drinking water for cattle and buffaloes daily when kept in barns during severe cold weather; warm water mixed with salt at a rate of about 5g/100 kg of body weight can be added to enhance their resistance.

Simultaneously, ensure that all necessary vaccinations are administered regularly according to the guidelines of the relevant authorities. Regularly disinfect and sterilize livestock facilities; monitor the health of animals frequently to take effective action when they show signs of illness due to hunger, cold, or disease. Upon detecting any illness in livestock, immediately report it to the veterinary authorities and local government for prompt treatment.