Deer farming - still a "rich profession"

(Baonghean) - Deer farming in Quynh Luu was established in 1980, helping many families escape poverty and many households become well-off and rich. Through ups and downs, the sika deer breed and deer antler products of Quynh Luu district are still favored by the market, contributing to affirming efforts to preserve and promote the breed source.

Deer antlers are one of the precious and clean medicinal herbs used to treat diseases and improve human health, so the market demand for this product is increasing. Grasping that situation, deer breeders have also revived the profession, continued to multiply the herd, creating high value. Up to now, the whole district of Quynh Luu has 12,900 deer, yielding an antler yield (antlers) annually from 5 - 5.5 tons, sold to the market at an average price of 7 million VND/kg, the value of deer antlers alone is 35 billion VND/year. Mr. Vu Ngoc Quy, a specialist in charge of animal husbandry at the district's agricultural department, said that deer breeding can make you rich. A pair of breeding deer can be bought for 7 - 8 million VND, and after 2 years can produce the first antlers.

Deer are gentle and easy-going animals, so raising deer is easier than raising pigs, chickens, and goats, and the capital is recovered quickly. Every day, farmers only need to pick a little grass, leaves or corn and put them in the pen. From the beginning of the year to the end of the year, they can earn tens of millions of dong from antlers and breeding animals. In the first years, each time they cut the antlers, they can collect about 0.5 kg/pair of antlers. With the current selling price of about 8 - 9 million VND/kg, farmers have a significant income. Many deer have antlers weighing over 1 kg, and can be sold for 10 million VND. Deer farming has developed steadily, and the output products are easy to sell. Every year, around December and January, it is the antler cutting season, and traders from everywhere flock to Quynh Luu to buy antlers to sell throughout the South and the North.

Mr. Phan Van Hanh (Hamlet 5, Quynh Yen) takes care of the deer herd.

We went to Quynh Yen commune, the locality with the largest deer herd in Quynh Luu district. Over the past decades, the deer market has fluctuated, but Quynh Yen people still maintain deer farming and consider it a key occupation. Up to now, Quynh Yen commune has 500 households raising deer with more than 2,100 deer, households raising at least 2 deer, households raising more than 10 deer. Mr. Le Quoc Bao, Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, said: The locality encourages people to develop deer farming, considering it a key occupation to improve people's lives, while promoting economic and social development. In 2014, the total output of deer antlers in the commune was 1.2 tons, approximately 11 billion VND, and deer meat was sold for 2.1 billion VND. Income from deer farming accounts for 52% of the total value of the commune's livestock industry. Raising deer brings high income, food sources are available locally, deer antlers are consumed by the market, therefore, local people really like to raise this animal.

Sika deer are raised in large numbers in Quynh Nghia (Quynh Luu).

Mr. Phan Van Hanh's family in Hamlet 5, Quynh Yen Commune has been raising deer since 1991. Up to now, the family's herd has 15 deer and 25 stags. To ensure food sources, his family grows 4 sao of elephant grass and milkweed, and also buys 50% more food. Raising deer has brought a comfortable life to his family with a spacious, well-furnished house with many living amenities. Mr. Hanh shared: "I have had a passion for deer since I was a child. When I started my own family, I decided to choose deer as the foundation for developing the household economy, because the output for deer products is always stable and rarely fluctuates.

The initial capital to buy breeding animals may be larger than other livestock, but in the long run, it brings higher profits and stable income. Up to now, although the total herd has reached 40 animals, the family only hires a few more workers, because raising this animal does not require much effort, and the food is easy to find and cheap. However, to achieve high efficiency, farmers need to clean the breeding area regularly, disinfect, sterilize and keep the barn cool and clean.

In addition to raising livestock, Mr. Hanh also collects deer and elk antlers to supply the market in and outside the province. His family's products are ordered by many customers in Saigon, Hanoi, Hai Phong... Currently, his family always has about 60 - 70 kg of deer antlers to supply to customers all year round. His family also does breeding business, collecting and selling more than 100 deer each year. From raising and trading deer and deer antlers, his family has a net profit of about 150 million VND each year.

Quynh Nghia commune is also a locality with a large herd of deer, nearly 1,400. Although it is a place with diverse industries, many people here still choose deer to develop their family economy. Ms. Truong Thi Nhiem in Nghia Bac hamlet, who has more than 30 years of experience raising deer, said: "Although there are ups and downs, the output price drops, my family always maintains raising 5-6 deer. When tired, looking at the herd of innocent, gentle deer also feels relieved...". Mr. Ho Xuan Binh's family also raises 6 deer, each year selling antlers and breeding deer also earns more than 30 million VND. Mr. Binh shared: “Deer are easy-going, kept in cages, they eat leaves and grass that are easy to find. During harvest time, when we are busy with farming, my family only gives them fresh straw, and they eat it... When they develop antlers, they need more care. The price of antlers has been stable in recent years, sometimes up to 15 million VND/kg, so farmers are excited to maintain the profession.”

Reality proves that deer farming is highly effective. Deer antler products are considered valuable and nutritious by the market. However, people are still developing spontaneously, the locality has not focused on planning the development area of ​​the profession nor has there been a systematic strategy for promoting and building a brand. In the long term, when deer antler becomes a typical product with the brand of Quynh, it will promote the development of deer farming more strongly, contributing to solving employment and increasing income for people. That requires the locality to consider solutions for preserving and processing deer products to create stability for the farming profession...

Quynh Lan