The secret to livestock farming using herbs - an effective approach for farmers in Quynh Luu.
Many farming households in Quynh Luu district (Nghe An province) have developed livestock and poultry farming models using medicinal herbs and harmless plant leaves. This approach is gradually proving effective and opening up new farming methods to improve product quality.
One typical example is the deer farming model using herbal remedies by Mr. Ho Ba Xuyen, in Thanh Minh hamlet, Quynh Bang commune. His farm covers an area of 1,500 square meters.2He regularly raises 80-100 deer for antler harvesting and breeding. Each year, he sells 50-60 kg of fresh antlers to the market.
Mr. Xuyen shared: Thanks to good care and a scientific diet, most of the deer herd yields antlers twice a year, each time producing 1-2 kg of antlers. To achieve this result, during the antler-growing period, he supplements their diet with natural leaves, roots, and fruits such as grass, corn, beans, jackfruit, figs, green bananas, and acacia.
In particular, he also feeds the deer medicinal herbs such as Centella asiatica, bear bile, and various forest leaves. At the same time, Mr. Xuyen uses sawdust from the trunk of the Melia azedarach tree to spread on the floor of the enclosure to repel mosquitoes.
Currently, the entire Quynh Bang commune has 100 households raising deer using herbal remedies, with a total herd of nearly 1,000 animals. This is the commune with the highest number of households raising deer using herbal methods in Quynh Luu district.
In order to unite and connect farming households to expand the deer farming model and enhance the value of the product, Quynh Bang commune has established the Herbal Deer Farming Cooperative. This cooperative is a reliable source for updating new techniques and guiding members on the effective use of herbs. At the same time, it guarantees a stable market for the farmers' products.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Tinh, Deputy Director of the Quynh Bang Herbal Deer Breeding Cooperative, said: Currently, the cooperative is maintaining a herbal deer breeding model that yields high profits and economic value.
Currently, the cooperative has processed many valuable products such as: pure deer antler powder, deer antler soaked in honey, deer antler and ginseng wine, deer antler with ginseng and lotus seeds, and sliced fresh deer antler. Among these, 3 products have achieved OCOP 3-star rating.
Quynh Luu is one of the districts with a strong potential for developing large-scale livestock and poultry farming in the province. The district currently has over 2.4 million poultry, nearly 88,600 head of livestock, and approximately 13,000 deer and elk. At this time, in some localities with large deer and chicken populations such as Quynh Tan, Quynh Tam, and Quynh Bang, herbal remedies such as bearberry, Centella asiatica, Solanum torvum, perilla, mugwort, and lemongrass are being used in animal husbandry.
Recently, the Farmers' Association of Quynh Luu district has collaborated with specialized agencies to organize training courses on transferring advanced scientific and technical knowledge using herbal remedies to its members. This method has increased the natural resistance of animals and reduced antibiotic use in livestock farming. Simultaneously, it has linked with businesses, cooperatives, and professional associations to provide support in terms of breeding stock, feed, technology, and guaranteed product sales for farmers, creating a safe production and consumption chain. As a result, many clean livestock products have reached diverse markets through trade fairs and safe agricultural product stores.
Mr. To Van Thang, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Quynh Luu district, said: The Association has focused on directing the development of livestock farming models based on herbal remedies and has identified this as a suitable direction in line with the trend of green and safe agriculture to enhance the value of agricultural products.
To implement this effectively, the Association has intensified propaganda efforts to encourage farmer members to change their production mindset and boldly switch to herbal farming models; disseminating information about the value and effective benefits of herbs in livestock farming to create consensus and support among the people.