Unique bamboo rat farming model in Dak Nong border area

Mr. Tran Van Toan in Thuan Ha border commune, Dak Song district (Dak Nong) has invested in developing a large-scale bamboo rat farming model, bringing economic efficiency.

Having been attached to traditional agricultural models but not achieving the expected results, in 2022, Mr. Tran Van Toan decided to switch to raising bamboo rats - a wild animal with high economic value.

After many trips to learn about models in and outside the province, Mr. Toan started building a systematic bamboo rat farm on an area of ​​700m², with a total initial investment of nearly 1.2 billion VND.

Bamboo rats are easy to care for, have few diseases, require little effort and have very low food costs due to taking advantage of locally available raw materials.

The cage is scientifically designed, airy and modern, with separate compartments for each breeding pair of rats. The cage floor is clean, with a layer of insulating foam to keep the rats warm in winter and cool in summer. In particular, Mr. Toan also plays soft music in the cage to help the rats get used to the noise, reduce stress and adapt easily to the captive environment.

According to Mr. Toan, bamboo rats are easy to care for, have few diseases, require little effort and have very low food costs because they take advantage of locally available raw materials such as bamboo, sugarcane, and corn - common crops in Dak Nong .

Every day, you only need a piece of bamboo, sugarcane and a little corn for medium-sized bamboo rats. The model helps reduce investment costs.

Mr. Toan’s farm mainly raises peach-cheeked bamboo rats – a type of bamboo rat with delicious meat, fast growth and popular in the market. In addition, he also raises giant bamboo rats to diversify the product supply.

Adult peach-cheeked bamboo rats weigh 2.5 - 2.7 kg after 9 - 10 months of raising; large bamboo rats reach 1.6 - 1.8 kg after about 8 - 9 months. Each bamboo rat reproduces 3 litters per year, each litter has 4 - 5 bamboo rats, helping to quickly increase the herd. With a daily diet of only a piece of bamboo, sugarcane and a little corn for medium-sized bamboo rats, the model helps reduce costs.

From the initial 20 pairs of breeding rats, after nearly two years, Mr. Toan's farm has grown to about 600 rats worth about 1.8 billion VND. After a period of raising the herd, he has now started selling breeding rats, meat rats, and adult rats to the market.

The current price of commercial bamboo rats is quite high, peach-cheeked bamboo rats are about 900,000 - 1,000,000 VND/kg, giant bamboo rats are about 500,000 VND/kg, and bamboo rats after 4 months old range from 4 - 5 million VND/pair, parent bamboo rats range from around 10 million VND/pair.

The model of Mr. Tran Van Toan, in Thuan Ha commune, Dak Song district (Dak Nong) is being visited and learned by many farmers.

Evaluating this model, Mr. Trinh Van Dinh, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Thuan Ha commune, said that Mr. Toan's farm was invested in a methodical, oriented manner and suitable to the actual conditions of the locality.

From traditional farming, he has approached modern techniques, invested systematically, and linked up in chains. This is an important step forward, contributing to diversifying local agricultural products, increasing value, and creating a stable and sustainable source of income. The Association is actively supporting and connecting to replicate the model in the community.

Not only stopping at developing personal economy, Mr. Toan is linking up with households with the same passion to establish a cooperative (HTX) to raise bamboo rats. The establishment of the cooperative aims to share techniques, support breeding and find stable output for the product. Currently, some households in the commune and neighboring areas have come to visit, learn and start raising bamboo rats at home.

Source: https://baodaknong.vn/doc-dao-mo-hinh-nuoi-dui-o-vung-bien-dak-nong-254478.html