The effectiveness of cattle farms in border areas

QTO - "Recently, in Lao Bao, there have appeared a number of well-invested livestock and crop farms, bringing high economic efficiency, contributing to environmental protection, and creating jobs for many local workers. Among them, the cattle farm of Mr. Le Huong, in Nai Cuu village, stands out with its large scale, application of scientific and technical advances, making good use of the potential and advantages of land and climate, especially proactively providing abundant food sources for livestock", Head of Lao Bao Commune Economic Department Tran Phuoc Cuong informed about the typical economic model in the locality.

Difficult childhood

Born and raised in a large family in the sandy commune of Trieu Lang, Trieu Phong district (old), now Trieu Co commune, because of the family's difficult economic situation, Le Huong's education had to be interrupted when he was in 2nd grade. To have enough food and clothing, his mother took her children to Binh Thuan to start a business.

“The days of wandering in a foreign land were very difficult for my mother and me. The five of us had to struggle to work for hire, and at night we slept in a shabby rented house, lacking in every way. Many times, my mother hugged her children and cried because she was helpless and could not give them a decent home and continue to go to school for a better future. Understanding my mother’s feelings, my brothers and I always encouraged each other to overcome all the difficulties ahead,” Mr. Huong recalled.

Mr. Huong's livestock farm is invested in a large scale and systematically - Photo: KS

Although he only studied until the second grade, Huong had a very good memory and ability to absorb information. Thanks to that, he was quick and resourceful in business. When he reached adulthood, when he had some savings, he invested in a fishing boat, but this job did not bring stability. A few years later, he switched to growing dragon fruit and opened a grocery store for his wife to sell. During this time, Huong began to get used to buying buffaloes and cows to fatten, then reselling them to traders.

17 years ago, realizing that Quang Tri had an abundant source of cows, he decided to return to his hometown, choosing Ka Tang, Lao Bao town (old) as his place to start a business. The days of working in the South helped him accumulate experience and knowledge in selecting quality cow breeds and raising techniques, creating a solid foundation for future economic development.

Own a big farm

Realizing that Lao Bao has favorable natural conditions for livestock farming, and is home to many large-scale livestock farms, Mr. Huong discussed with his wife about investing in building a fattening cattle model in Ka Tang.

“At that time, I bought cows from local people to fatten and sell in a short time on a small scale, raising 3-4 litters a year, each litter from 10-20 cows. Traders came to the barn to choose and buy big and beautiful cows; for the skinny and small ones, I continued to fatten them to sell to slaughterhouses. Raising cattle was becoming more and more favorable, so I decided to expand the scale,” said Mr. Huong.

During the process of raising cattle, he actively learned experience and knowledge on caring for and preventing diseases for cattle from large farms and the internet. Thanks to that, his livestock grew well, with few outbreaks of disease. From small-scale farming, a few years later, he developed into a larger-scale farm, with a total area of ​​3 hectares.

After deducting expenses, Mr. Huong's family farm generates an average profit of nearly 500 million VND per year, creating jobs for 11 local workers (mainly ethnic minorities), with an average income of about 7 million VND/month. To facilitate livestock farming and production, Mr. Huong invests in equipment and machinery such as: grass cutters, grass hoeing machines, excavators... Up to now, the total investment capital of his family farm is about 20 billion VND.

With the family's economy growing, in 2021, he continued to buy 8 hectares of land in Nai Cuu village, far from residential areas, to expand the farm to a total area of ​​more than 11 hectares. He invested in building a systematic barn area, with a total area of ​​5,000 ^{square meters} . To proactively provide food for cows, he planted 8.5 hectares of elephant grass and 2.5 hectares of bananas. Bananas are harvested and sold fresh, while tree trunks are used as food for livestock. He designed the barn area according to a terraced field model, divided into many areas of different sizes with a total construction cost of 2.7 billion VND.

Every year, he raises about 4 litters of cows, each litter has about 400-500 cows. The main breeds are crossbred Sind bulls, Brahman cows and local grass cows. In addition, he raises breeding cows, providing local breeds. He uses cow dung to fertilize elephant grass and bananas, thus saving a lot of costs.

Although he is the owner of a large farm, Mr. Huong still lives a simple and honest life. He always remembers his difficult past to cherish what he has today.

“In the coming time, I will invest in raising larger numbers of cattle to supply beef to markets outside the province. However, I am currently facing some difficulties in transporting cattle for consumption due to complicated procedures and paperwork. Therefore, I hope that the authorities will create favorable conditions to help farmers promote production and business development, strive to become rich sustainably, and continue to contribute to innovation in many aspects in the locality,” Mr. Huong expressed.

Ko Kan Suong

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202510/hieu-qua-tu-trang-trai-nuoi-bo-nhot-o-vung-bien-e602081/