Raising civets - a new model in the border commune of Que Phong.

Following Mr. Sam Van Hien – Secretary of the Party Branch of Muong Cat village, Thong Thu border commune (Que Phong district) – we visited the civet breeding area of ​​Mr. Lo Van Nhan's family in the same village. Currently, Mr. Nhan has invested in a breeding area with 43 cages made of iron frames and wire mesh, and is raising 20 civets.

According to Mr. Lo Van Nhan, in 2033, he accidentally discovered a promising model for raising civets in the northern provinces, so he researched it. After obtaining a license from the competent authority, he boldly bought 6 breeding civets to raise. Compared to other livestock, civets have high economic value, especially with the increasing demand from restaurants and eateries. Therefore, the market for civet meat is favorable.

Thanks to the application of good breeding techniques, Mr. Nhan's civet herd is growing and developing. Because he is in the process of breeding, the civets are kept for breeding after giving birth, so the total number is increasing. Each female civet gives birth to 1-3 offspring per year. "Commercial civets are bought by buyers in Lao Cai at a price of 1.2-1.3 million VND/kg; they'll buy everything I have, but because I'm in the process of breeding, I haven't sold them yet," Mr. Nhan shared.

According to Mr. Nhan, civets are easy to raise, omnivorous, rarely get sick, don't require a large area, and most importantly, don't pollute the environment. For the enclosures, there must be a heating system in winter and a cooling system in summer to ensure a stable temperature in the enclosure area.

Mr. Nhan's civet farm consists of many cages, each about 1 square meter, housing only one civet. The civets' diet mainly consists of ripe fruits: bananas, papayas, etc., and river fish cooked into porridge. They are fed twice a day: fruit in the morning and porridge in the afternoon. The fruits are mostly sourced from the garden or bought cheaply locally, and the river fish are caught from the lake. Therefore, raising civets requires little space, low costs, and minimal care. However, raising civets requires a significant initial investment. Mr. Nhan initially invested 100 million VND in cages and breeding stock, with the breeding stock costing 3.5 million VND per animal.

According to Mr. Luong Van Huan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thong Thu commune, in recent years, people in the commune have learned from experience and invested in many types of specialty animals such as civets, porcupines, and bamboo rats... with three new models, instead of just raising traditional livestock like buffaloes, cows, pigs, and chickens.

The family of Mr. Lo Van Nhan is a resettled household from the Hua Na hydroelectric reservoir area since 2012. Due to their diligence, hard work, and willingness to learn, the family escaped poverty many years ago and is now one of the successful families in the locality. Mr. Huan believes that when people raise wild animals such as porcupines, civets, and bamboo rats, they need to comply with regulations on wildlife protection and have a certificate from the Forest Protection Department.

According to recommendations from experts, to raise wild animals effectively and economically, breeders need to understand the characteristics of civets to apply appropriate breeding and care techniques. Furthermore, breeders must purchase breeding stock from legal breeding farms with clear origins. During the breeding process, they must maintain a record, submit periodic reports, and be subject to inspection and supervision by state management agencies.