Positive signs from the Australian cattle breeding project.

(Baonghean) - Route 534, running through Nghi Loc district, has become busier since the Australian cattle farm in the Do Lang industrial cluster of Nghi Lam commune began operations. This is the first imported beef cattle farm in the northern region, and the 7th farm of Ket Phat Thinh Company, headquartered in Long An province (the other 6 farms are in Long An and Ho Chi Minh City)...

Australian cattle farm in Nghi Lam commune (Nghi Loc district)

After much "intermediary work," the Chairman of the Nghi Lam Agricultural Cooperative (Nghi Lam commune, Nghi Loc district) finally agreed to take us to visit the farm. From the farm gate to the factory, rows of cars were waiting to receive goods. To enter the livestock area, we had to pass through a disinfection isolation zone, wear protective clothing, and put on disinfected boots provided by the farm. Three farm areas were packed with cows, and rows of troughs filled with prepared feed were laid out. A principle for the workers here is never to let the troughs run dry; the more the cows eat, the greater the meat yield. The cows here are likened to "machines" that transform roughage into meat.

When we arrived, the farm had about 1,500 cows waiting to be shipped to other provinces; at peak times, there were more than 4,000. Ket Phat Thinh Company's Australian cattle are mainly sold from Da Nang northward, especially to Hanoi and Hai Duong markets, with about 300 cows per day and night (Nghe An market sells less than 20 cows per day and night). Taking us on a tour of each row of barns, the farm manager rattled off the characteristics and temperament of each breed of cattle. Remarkably, he could estimate the weight of each cow with an error margin of only a few kilograms. Pointing to a silver-gray cow, the manager said: "This is a Siberian cow, this one weighs no less than 450 kg; this is a German Shepherd originating from Germany; then there are French cows, Tibetan cows, super lean cows… At Ket Phat Thinh Company's Australian cattle fattening farm, the record for meat production is 1.4 kg live weight/day (in Long An)." Cattle are raised using a "new arrival" method, meaning that after being imported, the cattle go through a quarantine and disinfection system, are vaccinated against diseases, and are kept for 15-20 days to recover before being sold at a price of 70,000-71,000 VND/kg live weight (depending on the import price). According to the formula of 2.7 kg live weight yielding 1 kg of meat, the cost of Australian beef is under 200,000 VND/kg - even lower than Vietnamese beef.

According to a report from the provincial veterinary department's Zone 3, since the beginning of this year, the Australian cattle farm in Nghi Lam has imported 22,344 cattle in eight shipments. These are completely disease-free cattle that have been certified by Australian veterinarians. Upon arrival in Vietnam, to ensure the herd is not infected, all preventive measures are implemented systematically: The ships carrying the cattle dock at the port, and the receiving area is disinfected; the vehicles transporting the cattle are taken to the farm for chemical disinfection. During the receiving process, even the drivers are not allowed to come into contact with the cattle. Upon arrival at the farm, the vehicles undergo another disinfection to eliminate pathogens during transport. After the cattle are stabilized, veterinarians take samples for testing before issuing permits for circulation.

According to Mr. Duong Van Tri, Deputy Director of Veterinary Region 3, not only is safety ensured during the receiving process, but all activities of the cows and those involved are closely monitored through a satellite positioning system thanks to the microchips attached to the cows. From the time the cows are brought in until slaughter, according to the regulations of the Australian Livestock Association, the animals must be treated humanely, even during slaughter. The cows are slaughtered at designated locations. During slaughter, no beating or torture of the cows is allowed; instead, electric shocks are used. At the slaughterhouse, there are surveillance cameras, and signals are transmitted to Australia. All actions are closely monitored, and any violation of the contract is immediately canceled. Therefore, Australian beef products are confirmed to be clean meat. After slaughter, the microchip attached to each cow to monitor the transportation and slaughter process is returned to Australia, the origin of the herd.

According to Mr. Tri, besides the clean product that consumers enjoy, the economic benefits of Australian cattle are significant. Each shipment of cattle brings in approximately 2-3 billion VND in import tax for Nghe An province. The "newborn" rearing period (nearly one month) requires about 600 tons of feed, at a price of 1,000 VND/kg for corn stalks, meaning the company pays local farmers 600 million VND. Calculated annually, the farm imports about 12 shipments of Australian cattle, bringing in over 30 billion VND in tax revenue for the province; plus the cost of supplying feed, which is over 7 billion VND – a considerable amount. Furthermore, the farm provides employment for over 110 local workers and transport operators (each shipment requires at least 200 truckloads of cattle to the farm and the same number of truckloads to transport cattle to various locations from Hanoi to Da Nang).

In a conversation with us, Mr. Nguyen Duc Tho, Head of the Agriculture Department of Nghi Loc District, added that the Australian cattle farm in Nghi Lam commune is a project approved by the District People's Committee under Decision No. 207 dated January 24, 2014. Mr. Nguyen Van Sy, residing in Hamlet 2, Nghi Lam Commune, is the investor; Mr. Sy is in partnership with Ket Phat Thinh Company to jointly operate the farm. All environmental protection measures have been strictly implemented by the company. Furthermore, with the "new arrival" quarantine method, the farm only serves as a transit point, with each individual cow staying at the farm for only 15-20 days. The company has also thoroughly handled waste from the cows: liquid waste is collected and treated using a biogas system, and other waste is collected in a separate area for chemical treatment before being sold to organic fertilizer production facilities. Before each new batch of cows is received, the farm is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

Mr. Tuan