Beef husbandry – A new profitable direction of Long Nguyen commune’s people

In recent years, many farmers in Long Nguyen commune, Bau Bang district has implemented the model of beef husbandry and obtained steady incomes for their family.

Stable incomes

Nguyen Chien Thang and his family living in Sa Them hamlet, Long Nguyen commune started to rear beefs in 2012. At first, he depended solely on his experiences and a small quantity of beefs, thus got very low profits. In 2013, local Farmers’ Association granted VND20 million of loan to him, then he bought more beefs, improved food, disease prevention, thus profits has increased steadily.

Beef herd of Nguyen Chien Thang in Sa Them hamlet, Long Nguyen commune

Currently, his family is raising 15 beefs, including 5 cows, the remaining are bulls and calves. Every year, he sells 2-5 beefs, and got a net profit of over VND50 million. Mr Thang said: "Breeding beefs is easier than chicken or swine. A characteristics of beef is a good disease resistance, thus caring works are also easy. Besides, every year, I also learn new farming techniques from agricultural promotion cadres, veterinarians; hence, vaccination, hygiene, disinfection of barns… are usually done and help our beefs to be healthier and grow faster.

With a stable source of income, Nguyen Di Phu and his family living in the same hamlet of Mr. Thang also raise 4-6 beefs. According to Phu, previously, when rubber latex price was still high, his family lived well on more than 1 ha of rubber trees and rubber tapping for other households. But latex price is falling, no one hire him for rubber tapping, so his family switched to beef husbandry. Initially, due to limited capital and lack of experiences, he raised only 2 beefs, then sold beefs to invest in more beefs. With a stable income of over VND30 million/year, he can cover well family spending and save a money amount.

Mr. Thang said beef husbandry was not difficult, but we had to know proper caring practices. Currently, his family is planting grass in their vacant land, intercropping among rubber trees to produce an abundant food source for their beefs, especially in the dry season.

Actively supporting farmers

Implement buffalo, beef development program in the 2011- 2015 period, currently, Long Nguyen commune has 430 buffalos and beefs with 119 farm households (in 2011 only 87 buffalos, beefs/36 farm households). To develop beef production in a sustainable way, in the last 5 years, local associations, organizations, funds to farmers in Bau Bang district granted preferential loans to farmers to invest in beef husbandry. In addition, district Agriculture Promotion Center has also set up successful models of growing elephant grasses, encouraged farmers to grow grasses in vacant land around the house or in rubber plantations to create more food sources.

Doan Van Thanh, Vice President of Long Nguyen commune Farmers' Association, said in recent years, farmers have paid much attention to beef cattle husbandry. Through trainings, farmers know keep their barns clean, utilize dung to fertilize grasses and rubber plantations in order to save more costs, create a green, high protein food source for beefs. Beef husbandry is a right direction of farmers in the commune at the present.

It can be seen, due to utilizing local advantages, many families in Long Nguyen commune have enriched from beef husbandry. This is not only considered as not only a new economic development direction for farmers as latex price is falling but also contributes to the implementation of the National Target Program on new rural construction.

Reported by Tam Binh – Translated by Ngoc Huynh