Bright example in Dong Ben hill area

In the eyes of Trieu Ai commune people, Dong Ben hill area is not a favorable land for agricultural cultivation and forest development because of its rugged terrain, with many small canals flowing through, which can easily cause flooding of crops during the rainy season. Not only that, the land here is quite poor, barren, and mixed with rocks, so almost no one in the commune chooses this place for long-term economic development. However, in the eyes of Mr. Duc, this is a potential land, very suitable for developing cattle farms and raising freshwater fish.

Mr. Tran Huu Duc takes care of his breeding cows - Photo: NB

In early 2021, Mr. Duc boldly rented land and borrowed capital to invest in economic development in the Dong Ben hill area. In the early days of starting the job, he encountered many difficulties, wasting effort and money because he had to carry out many stages of land improvement, building barns and ponds for a long time.

After many months of perseverance, Mr. Duc has completed the construction of separate areas such as: barns for breeding cows, beef cows, cattle grazing areas with protective steel mesh systems, elephant grass growing areas, and fish ponds.

“When I first started farming, this hilly area was quite wild and full of weeds. It took a long time to have a stable farm of more than 3 hectares. I am very happy that I have been able to fulfill my passion for farming , improve my family’s economy and create jobs for many local workers,” Duc shared.

When putting the farm into operation, Mr. Duc did not encounter many difficulties because he had a lot of knowledge about business, livestock farming, cultivation and had carefully calculated the farm development plan many months in advance. In addition, he always enthusiastically participated in livestock technical training courses organized by the Agricultural Extension Center and farmers' associations at all levels; actively researched and learned effective cattle farming models in and outside the province to continue to improve his knowledge and experience in livestock farming. In particular, he confidently applied science, technology, and digital technology to production, business, and consumption of agricultural products.

Mr. Duc invested more than 1 billion VND to buy 25 sows and 6 bulls to raise according to the model of raising breeding cows combined with growing elephant grass for animal feed; digging a pond of about 2,000 ^m2 to raise grass carp, snakehead fish, and catfish. “After just over a year of investment, my farm model has begun to develop quite favorably, saving costs by making the most of the manure from livestock to fertilize the elephant grass garden.

In addition, the grass that grows naturally on the hills is also an abundant source of food for the cattle to grow. At the same time, water can be taken from fish ponds and small ditches in the farm area for irrigation during the dry season, providing drinking water for the cattle when needed. This model is quite suitable for hilly areas, ensuring environmental hygiene and bringing economic efficiency," Mr. Duc shared.

After nearly 5 years of care, his initial herd of 31 cows has grown to more than 100. “Raising breeding cows and beef cattle in this area is quite favorable because of the temperate climate, water resources and especially abundant food sources, so the cows rarely get sick, grow quickly, and the quality of the meat and breeding animals meets the strict requirements of the market,” said Mr. Duc.

Currently, Mr. Duc's comprehensive farm has achieved quite high and stable economic efficiency. The herd of cows can generate a profit of 180 - 200 million VND/year, and the freshwater fish farming model also generates a net profit of tens of millions of VND/year.

Sharing about his future economic plans, Mr. Duc said: “In the coming time, I will prioritize developing and expanding the breeding herd, investing in upgrading the beef cattle breeding area to take advantage of the available advantages in this hilly area. At the same time, I will learn more about freshwater fish breeds with higher productivity and economic value to expand the pond area.”

After nearly 5 years, thanks to his perseverance, diligence and hard work, Mr. Duc has built a large-scale integrated farm, opening up an effective and sustainable economic direction in the Dong Ben hilly area. Mr. Duc's boldness and pioneering in the economic development process in the hilly area has helped many households in the village and in Trieu Ai commune have more confidence and motivation to invest in developing the hilly economy, gradually escaping poverty and striving to become rich sustainably.

Phu Hai

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/guong-sang-o-vung-go-doi-dong-ben-193922.htm