Modern livestock farms benefit southern farmers

HCM CITY — More farms in southern Soc Trang Province are equipped with modern equipment that have helped cut losses caused by epidemics, and, as a result, many farmers have escaped from poverty.

For example, farmer Pham Van Du in Ho Dac Kien Commune in Chau Thanh District can earn nearly VND4 billion a year from raising 90,000 chickens, 60,000 hens and 2,200 pigs.

HCM CITY — More farms in southern Soc Trang Province are equipped with modern equipment that have helped cut losses caused by epidemics, and, as a result, many farmers have escaped from poverty.

For example, farmer Pham Van Du in Ho Dac Kien Commune in Chau Thanh District can earn nearly VND4 billion a year from raising 90,000 chickens, 60,000 hens and 2,200 pigs.

"Five years ago, my family was on the list of poor households in the district since we lacked agricultural land for cultivation," Du said.

"Everything changed in 2005 when we got a Government loan with low interest rates. We rented land and built a modern farm to raise chickens and pigs by applying industrial methods," he said.

"At first, we only raised hundreds of chicken since we were afraid of not having enough capital for feed and other needs," he said.

The production scale was expanded after several companies, including the PC Viet Nam Joint-Stock Company, helped them.

The companies provided breeds, feed, breeding techniques and veterinary medicine.

Modern breeding methods were also used by farmer Tran Thanh Dai who owns a large farm in Ke Sach District's Dai Hai Commune.

"Only farms that use modern, safe breeding methods can bring profits to farmers," Dai said.

"I can earn between VND150,000 and VND200,000 raising a four-month-old pig, and between VND3,000 and 5,000 from a two-month-old chicken," he said.

Last year, Dai made a profit of VND3.5 billion (US$184,200) thanks to breeding 80,000 chickens, 64,000 hens and more than 2,000 pigs.

He and his family will work with the CP-Viet Nam Company to build another farm capable of raising 60,000 chickens in An Ninh Commune.

"We only have to invest in building breeding facilities and employing workers, while the company will do the rest, including selling the products. This cooperation has really benefited us."

Quach Van Tay, head of livestock breeding for Soc Trang Province's Agriculture and Rural Development Department, said the province has 181 breeding farms, of which 121 raise pigs, 25 breed cows and 35 farm poultry. These farms employ nearly 2,000 labourers.

A majority of these farms are modern, with waste treatment systems that can generate biogas or be used for farming fish.

In addition, the owners of these farms have poured more investment in high quality breeds and feed.

Meanwhile, agricultural offices in districts and communes have set up close links between farmers and enterprises.

The province has 20,038 Sind-crossbred cows, accounting for 67.8 per cent of the total herd, and 787,000 industrially-raised chickens, representing 50 per cent of the provincial flock. Up to 80 per cent of the total pigs are crossbred pigs. — VNS