Effectiveness of sika deer farming in Ia H'Drai border district

The pilot model of raising spotted deer for antlers and breeding has been implemented by some households in village 4, Ia Dom commune, Ia H'Drai border district, Kon Tum province since 2016. Up to now, the deer herd has grown and developed stably, opening up a new direction in investing in the model of raising spotted deer and deep processing of products from deer antlers to increase income, aiming to get rich on difficult land.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Tien takes care of the herd of sika deer.

As one of the pioneers in raising spotted deer in village 4, Ia Dom commune, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Tien shared: “Out of curiosity, I researched and consulted to see what plants and animals to grow and raise that were suitable for the nature of my job, which is to tap rubber latex, while also being able to increase production and raise livestock, saving costs and grazing time. Through research online and consulting in some other localities, I found that raising spotted deer was suitable for the conditions I needed.”

Mr. Tien began to learn about the methods and characteristics of sika deer and found that they were completely confined, so he took the initiative to build a barn. The main food of deer is grass, which is simpler than raising cows and goats, which require herding. Another benefit of raising deer is that it is more effective than raising cows and goats: female deer reproduce, male deer produce antlers, so raising both pairs is beneficial.

Deer velvet brings high economic value to livestock farmers.

“With the encouragement of the local government, in 2016, I bought 2 pairs of deer from Ea Kar district, Dak Lak province to try raising. The price of 5-6 month old deer at that time was about 22-25 million VND/pair,” added Mr. Nguyen Xuan Tien. After more than 1 year, Mr. Tien's deer herd has grown well and can reproduce. To date, the total herd of deer has increased to more than 20, including 9 males for velvet antler exploitation, bringing in an income of nearly 100 million VND/year.

Realizing that raising spotted deer is simple, the food source is abundant in nature, suitable for natural conditions, local human resources and brings practical efficiency, many households in the village and neighboring communes are especially interested and want to replicate the model.

Learn about products made from deer antlers.

Mr. Nguyen Van Lam came from the North to Kon Tum province to start a business in 2013. After the new Ia H'Drai district was established in 2015, he chose this border land to settle down and develop the economy long-term. With the virtue of diligence and hard work, Mr. Lam has always strived to take care of and build the family economy, gradually rising to become rich legitimately.

“My husband and I are both rubber tappers. But whenever we have the opportunity to attend training courses on farming and animal husbandry organized by the company and the locality, we always register. Because I believe that knowledge is the “key” to help us improve our income, contributing to building a more and more stable life. From there, I “fell in love” with retired people,” Mr. Lam confided.

Learning from Mr. Tien's deer farming model, Mr. Lam's family invested in 2 pairs of deer to raise. Up to now, the total deer herd has grown to 16. With the current selling price of 15 million VND/kg of velvet, combined with cattle farming and workers' wages, his family earns about 200 million VND/year and becomes a household with a good income in the area.

Mr. Lam shared: Compared to raising cows, I find raising sika deer easier. Because the local soil is quite suitable for sika deer. They are less susceptible to diseases and develop quickly. At the same time, the price of deer antlers on the market is quite high, sometimes nearly 2 million/tael. However, for sika deer, breeders need to ensure a reasonable source of capital. Because taking antlers and selling the breed depends on a certain time of the year. So when lacking capital, it is impossible to "arbitrarily" sell like other livestock models.

To reduce the cost of raising cattle and deer, Mr. Lam uses some vacant land to grow corn. With each corn harvest, he ensures a source of food for his livestock. At the same time, he also uses manure to compost, process, and then fertilize rubber and corn trees. The remaining amount, he sells fertilizer to farmers in the area to increase his income.

Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ia H'Drai district, Dang Chi Bao, said that since 2020, realizing that sika deer farming in the area has a lot of potential, the district has focused on integrating resources, especially from the capital of the National Target Program on New Rural Construction, to implement the Project of linking production in raising and processing products from sika deer antlers.

Accordingly, direct the relevant departments to promote propaganda and mobilize local people to participate in raising spotted deer to increase income. At the same time, support qualified households with 1 pair of breeding deer, provide guidance on effective breeding and antler harvesting techniques. In addition, mobilize households to establish cooperatives and cooperatives to link and support in production, consume products, and create high-quality products with increased value from deer antlers.

To date, the Project on production linkage in raising and processing products from sika deer antlers has supported nearly 25 households with breeding sources and science and technology for effective development. From the mobilization and propaganda of local authorities, many other households have invested in buying deer breeds and learned from the deer raising model experiences of households participating in the project.

A variety of deer antler products from Dong Tien Agricultural Cooperative.

In order to create a stable output for the product, build a brand and make deer antlers a key OCOP product of Ia H'Drai district, households raising spotted deer in the area have jointly established Dong Tien Agricultural Cooperative. Up to now, the Cooperative has developed 15 members, with 96 spotted deer. Thanks to well-invested equipment, Dong Tien Agricultural Cooperative has 2 deer antlers products recognized as meeting 3-star OCOP standards and 6 products with the potential to meet 4-star OCOP standards have submitted applications to the provincial level for evaluation and classification. Outstanding products include deer antlers wine, honey-soaked antlers, deer antlers powder and dried and fresh antlers. The total revenue of the cooperative in 2023 will reach nearly 800 million VND, bringing a large source of income to people in the Ia H'Drai border area.

"Currently, we continue to expand our scale, sell varieties, develop new products, aim to promote and enhance product value through packaging, labels, and put them on e-commerce trading floors. The cooperative strives for some products to achieve the first 4-star OCOP provincial level in Ia H'Drai district. In particular, products such as: Deer antler honey, Dong Tien antler ginseng wine", emphasized Mr. Nguyen Xuan Tien, Director of Dong Tien Agricultural Cooperative.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Ia H'Drai district Vo Anh Tuan affirmed that for deer antler products, the district has built a value chain-linked production project linking production with consumption of deer antler products.

“The district has allocated capital from the National Target Program on New Rural Development to support people with seeds, barn construction and labor. From there, we aim to create the first 4-star OCOP product of the district.”

Sika deer are suitable for the climate and soil of Ia H'Drai district so they grow well.

Aiming to build 3-star and 4-star OCOP products also greatly contributes to helping communes in Ia H'Drai district soon complete the targets in building new rural areas, towards advanced new rural areas; at the same time, contributing to bringing sustainable income to people, building the border district of Ia H'Drai to develop more and more.

Source: https://baodaknong.vn/kon-tum-hieu-qua-nuoi-huou-sao-tai-huyen-bien-gioi-ia-h-drai-232078.html