Practical support for people in border areas to develop livestock farming

(Baonghean) - Implemented since 2015, the Project "Building a local sow breeding facility to provide breeding pigs for people in the Vietnam - Laos border area of ​​Nghe An province in the period of 2015 - 2018" has achieved many positive results, meeting the set goals.

Joy in Nam Can

On the day of the “event” where border guards gave piglets to villagers in Nam Can commune (Ky Son), the villagers were extremely excited. Not only the households that received piglets enthusiastically packed their bags and came to the commune center early in the morning, but other households also came to witness and share the joy.

The households receiving the breeding animals are those in difficult circumstances, lacking land for production but able to work and are hard-working, diligent, and have good ability to take care of animals and develop the herd, helping to develop the family economy and stabilize life.

Soldiers of Nam Can Border Guard Station take care of breeding pigs. Photo: Hoai Thu

Mr. Lau Dua Dia, Nam Khien 2 village, is one of the five households that received the first batch of breeding pigs. He was carrying two baskets of breeding pigs, always smiling, and said: “I am very happy, this time I have breeding pigs to raise. Thank you to the government and the border guards for giving my family the opportunity to escape poverty. My family will take good care of these breeding pigs so that they can reproduce quickly and form a herd.”

Along with Lau Dua Dia, there are many other households in Nam Can commune that received piglets such as: Va Cho Thai, Va Cho Co in Nam Can village, Lau Nhia Xong, Lau Xay Chu in Nam Khien 1 village, Mua Pa Re in Son Thanh village, Xong Ba Lu in Huoi Nhao village, Va Ba Xenh in Lien Son village...

At Nam Can Border Guard Station, implementing the project from the first year, the station has invested in the entire system of barns and provided breeding pigs with 10 sows and 1 boar. In the system of 18 border guards in the whole province, Nam Can Border Guard Station is assessed as a unit with relatively good premises to effectively implement this project. This is also one of the criteria to evaluate the implementation conditions at other units in the system of 18 border guards where the project has been and is being implemented.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Tu Hoa - Political Commissar of Nam Can Border Guard Station said: "After receiving the breeding animals, officers and soldiers of Nam Can Border Guard Station have made a specific plan in assigning work, ensuring both political tasks and increasing production, breeding, and caring for livestock so that by the end of 2017, in addition to the 2 rounds already provided, there will be at least 2 rounds of giving breeding animals to the people."

As of early March 2017, Nam Can Border Guard Station coordinated with Nam Can Commune People's Committee under the witness of the Provincial Border Guard Command to carry out 2 rounds of handing over breeding pigs to households. The first round handed over 10 breeding pigs to 5 households, each household received 2 pigs weighing 11kg/pig.

Then, in early May 2017, the station continued to give 10 breeding pigs to 5 other households in the villages: Nam Khien 1 and 2, Tham Hin, Lien Son and Nam Can, each household 2 pigs, each weighing 10kg. Compared to the target of each border station supporting at least 10-20 households each year, each household 1 pair of breeding pigs as stipulated in the project, by the end of the year, Nam Can Border Station will exceed the planned target.

Witnessing the joy of the people when receiving practical support from the authorities at all levels, especially the gift from the caring hands of the officers and soldiers of Nam Can Border Guard Station, Mr. Va Lia Nenh - Secretary of the Party Committee of Nam Can commune was moved to say: "To bring joy to many households when receiving breeding pigs, I have witnessed many times the efforts and endeavors of the officers and soldiers of Nam Can Border Guard Station, farmers' associations at all levels; especially the process of the officers and soldiers of the station taking care of, raising and multiplying the breeding pigs with great effort, from nutrition to breeding techniques, disease prevention work. Hopefully this coordination program will be maintained for a long time, helping more households in Nam Can commune to escape poverty. The local government promises to care for and help households receiving breeding pigs to take good care of them, promote their effectiveness, not letting down the attention and favor of the Party and State for the people. version

Help people to rise up

Currently, the Vietnam - Laos border area of ​​our province has more than 25 thousand households living, their lives mainly depend on slash-and-burn farming, farming practices are still backward; many poor families do not have the conditions to raise livestock because of lack of capital and scarce breeding resources. Therefore, when there is support for breeding animals as a "fishing rod" for economic development, it will gradually lead to cultural and social movements being raised, helping people to settle down and make a living.

This is an important basis for implementing national defense and security policies and maintaining national border sovereignty.

Officers and soldiers of Nam Can Border Guard Station give breeding pigs to people. Photo: Khanh Ly

Mr. Tran Van Huong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial Farmers' Association said that up to now, through the coordination process between the Farmers' Association and the Provincial Border Guard Command and related departments and branches, especially the border posts, the project has shown many encouraging advantages, ensuring the set goals. First of all, maintaining and developing local pig breeds suitable to the climate conditions and natural characteristics of the western border area, creating a high-quality pig herd to supply to farmers in the border area.

This is a measure that not only contributes to accelerating the growth rate of livestock farming in terms of total herd, quality, product output and ensuring sustainability, but also helps exploit local potential advantages to create income sources, improve people's lives, contribute to hunger eradication, poverty reduction, and build a stable and strong border area.

In addition, it also helps people eliminate the mindset of relying on the subsidy support of the State and the community, helping people actively participate in labor production to escape poverty. At the same time, it supports this force to complete assigned tasks well, especially in mass mobilization work. Therefore, this is a project built with many practical purposes, not only meaningful in terms of economy - society but also contributes to implementing national defense - security policies, maintaining political security in the western border area of ​​the province; contributing to concretizing the policies of the Party, the State, and the province for the development of western Nghe An.

Possible, but still many obstacles

However, in the process of implementing the project, besides the advantages and positive aspects of the project, which is directly implemented by the border guards in the province, there are also issues that need to be resolved. According to our observations at some border guards in Muong Tip, Nam Can, My Ly..., raising and building pig breeds still faces certain difficulties in terms of space and land fund to build barns.

At My Ly Border Guard Station, My Ly Commune (Ky Son), to have the required land, officers and soldiers of the station must hire machines to level the mountain, lower the height and fill the soil and rocks at a rather expensive cost. Or like Tam Quang Border Guard Station, Tam Quang Commune (Tuong Duong), according to Station Chief Phan Thanh Hong, they have not yet found land to build barns, because the terrain where the station is located is quite steep, hanging halfway up the mountain.

Another difficulty is that due to harsh climate conditions and remote border areas, disease prevention and control for pigs is limited. Therefore, there have been a number of facilities where many livestock have died due to disease.

In addition, because the location of the barn is in the highlands, maintaining environmental hygiene is also a difficult problem, requiring large and long-term investment. During the implementation of this project, according to some border guard stations that have implemented and provided breeding pigs to people, the target of each unit providing at least 20 breeding pigs to people with a weight of 20kg/pig per year is unreasonable, and needs to be adjusted because pig breeds suitable for the locality such as black pigs grow quite slowly, to reach the required weight, it takes time, sometimes a whole year.

However, according to the assessment of the Provincial Farmers' Association, the leaders of the Provincial Border Guard Command and the local government, the implementation of this project is feasible and has many practical meanings that need to be maintained. Problems and difficulties will be adjusted appropriately, ensuring that the project's objectives always achieve the highest efficiency.

Hoai Thu