Raising bamboo rats - a way for people in Nghe An to get rich.

The successful model of a commune chairman

The bamboo rat, also known as the "mollusk rat," is afraid of noise and prefers to eat bamboo, sugarcane, and corn in the dark. Currently, many people in Nghe An province have successfully raised them.raising guinea pigs, aiming to expand in scale to increase income and become wealthy.

It can be said that one of the most successful people in the bamboo rat farming business is Mr. Cao Tien Thin, currently the Chairman of the People's Committee of Tan An commune (Tan Ky district). He is considered successful because he started raising bamboo rats in 2019. From a few breeding pairs, he diligently learned from books and newspapers, and applied the knowledge in practice, and now they have reproduced to hundreds of animals.

"Although bamboo rats are easy to raise, I was initially worried because I lacked experience. However, after more than three years of caring for and monitoring their growth, I can now confidently say it's been a success. I not only supply bamboo rat meat but also breeding them for sale. Due to increasing market demand, I plan to expand the scale of my operation," said Mr. Cao Tien Thin.

Speaking about the techniques for raising bamboo rats, Mr. Thin said that the cages are simple to design and don't require much space; 100 square meters can accommodate around 400 bamboo rats. The cages can be built with bricks or constructed using 60 x 60 cm ceramic tiles. Importantly, the cages must be well-ventilated, located in a quiet area, and protected from direct sunlight.

There are many different species of bamboo rats, but the most common are the large and small spotted bamboo rats. Mr. Thin raises the large spotted bamboo rats, which weigh 1.5 - 2 kg each when ready for sale. Bamboo rat meat is fragrant, delicious, cooling, and rich in protein, so many people seek to buy it. Consequently, although bamboo rat meat costs 600,000 VND/kg and breeding pairs cost 1.5 - 2 million VND, there aren't enough to sell.

Putting aside my university degree to raise guinea pigs.

Having graduated from Vinh Pedagogical University in 2002, and despite having taught for four years, Nguyen Duc Truong did not continue in the teaching profession but chose to work abroad to accumulate capital. After two years working overseas, in 2014, he decided to move from his hometown of Bac Thanh commune to Minh Thanh mountainous commune (Yen Thanh district) to teach.starting a businessThen they bought 7,000 square meters of land in Hamlet 8, Minh Thanh Commune, and combined seedling cultivation with raising bamboo rats.

Mr. Truong said that at the beginning of 2023, after completing the construction of the enclosure system, starting with 70 breeding pairs of bamboo rats, he learned from books and gained experience, and now the bamboo rat herd has multiplied to 300 pairs. The reason for the rapid increase in the bamboo rat herd is that female bamboo rats give birth three times a year, with each litter containing 1-4 offspring. Seeing the high market demand, many people in the area came to learn about breeding methods and received guidance and breeding stock from him. However, the scale of breeding by the local people is still small and fragmented, and has not yet created a marketable product.

"The easiest thing about raising bamboo rats is that they love to eat bamboo stalks, corn, and sugarcane. You can cut the bamboo and sugarcane stalks into short pieces, split them, and throw them in for them to gnaw on all day. These types of food are readily available in rural areas, so the cost is low. In addition, the cages are easy to build, so anyone can invest in raising them. Bamboo rats only eat dry, clean food, and they don't drink water, so the cages must always be dry and have minimal environmental pollution. However, the ideal temperature for bamboo rat development is 25-28 degrees Celsius, so it's necessary to install a humidifying fan system to cool them down in the summer," shared Mr. Nguyen Duc Truong.

Raising bamboo rats brings high value and a good market, opening up a new economic development direction for farmers in livestock farming, contributing to economic promotion and poverty reduction in localities. However, bamboo rat farming models in the province are still mostly small-scale and scattered in many places. Because food for bamboo rats is easily found in rural areas and the cost of raising them is not high, people are encouraged to raise them to develop their economy.