Farmers seize golden opportunity in husbandry

Tens of thousands of farmers in the northern mouantainous province of Hoa Binh are seizing a golden opportunity from surging demand for not only pork but also other meat, such as chicken, beef and goat which are also experiencing jumping prices ahead the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) Holiday.

Minh Duc chicken farm in Bot village, Phu Thanh commune, Lac Thuy district, earns billions of VND from livestock products.

Buffalo and cow farms across the province have seen great opportunities from growing market demand while the prices are steadily increasing. It is predicted that the consumption of chicken, beef, buffalow meat will continue rising next year.

Local farmers have diversified livestock products and focused on producing alternatives of pork in the wake of current shortage of pork. They have paid more attention to enhancing quality of their meat products to promptly supply to the market, contributing to maintaining the growth of local agriculture and improving incomes.

According to the provincialStatistics Office, Hoa Binh now has 119,000 buffaloes, 86,200 cows, 489,000 pigs and nearly 7.6 million poultry heads. This year, the province produced 3,600 tonnes of buffalo meat, 3,200 tonnes of beef, 63,000 tonnes of pork, 23,200 tonnes of poultry meat and over 96 million eggs.

With the diversification of livestock products, focusing on strong products, replacing pork in the current market shortage of pork, local farmers actively take care, improve product quality to supply the market at the right time. Since then, contributing to maintaining the general growth of the agricultural sector, increasing income for farmers.

In 2019, though the output of pork plunged as a consequence of African swine fever outbreak, the cattle herds grew stably as farmers shifted to cattle for meat production. Production of local specialty chickens in Lac Son and Lac Thuy expanded, bringing high profits to farmers thanks to the products’ high-quality meat and stable prices. Goat herds also grew as the goat farming is relatively easy, requires low investment and generates high profits.

Additionally, consumers’ demand has shifted to alternative meats like beef, chicken and goat, instead of pork, allowing farmers to earn profits.