Support farmers growing corn to raise dairy cows

Cat Tien, the new land of high-yielding dairy cows, is in the busy harvest days. The white milk brings hope and stable income to farmers.

Mr. Le Thanh Hai in the biomass corn garden

Ms. Ho Thi Lam, an agricultural extension worker in Cat Tien town, Da Huoai district, shared that in the past few years, the project to develop dairy cow herds in Cat Tien has developed quite strongly, and the herds are gradually expanding in the local livestock structure. “Raising dairy cows brings good income to farmers, especially when we have signed stable purchasing contracts with businesses. Raising dairy cows, in addition to refined feed such as bran and corn kernels, also requires a large amount of roughage such as green grass, corn stalks, etc. Therefore, the project of the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center to support farmers in growing corn for animal feed has been enthusiastically supported by Cat Tien farmers,” Ms. Lam said.

Ms. Ho Thi Lam informed that the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center has implemented a model of corn production for animal feed for households in Cat Tien town, Phuoc Cat town and Phuoc Cat 2 commune, three localities that have started to develop a dairy farming model. According to her, proactively planting corn has greatly supported people in providing fresh food for cows. For example, in Cat Tien town, 19 households have participated with an area of ​​16 hectares.

Mr. Le Thanh Hai, a dairy farmer who has planted one hectare of biomass corn, said that dairy cows need a large amount of food. In addition to high-quality food such as bran and corn kernels, each cow also needs 20-25 kg of green food per day, including fresh grass and corn stalks. If the family does not have green food grown by itself, he has to buy it from other farmers or from the company, which is very expensive. “Fresh corn costs from 900-1,100 VND/kg. If the family cannot grow it, I have to buy it from outside. Corn is not only eaten fresh, farmers also use it to make silage with molasses. This is a very necessary food for dairy cows to be healthy, have good quality milk, and sell it at a high price to businesses. Therefore, when receiving the pilot project of growing biomass corn for cows, we farmers were very happy,” Mr. Hai informed.

According to Mr. Le Thanh Hai, at the end of August 2012, the Lam Dong Provincial Agricultural Extension Center sent technical staff to guide farmers on how to prepare the soil, thin the seeds, and care for the corn to achieve the highest biomass. According to him, this corn is a variety that is grown specifically for its stems. It is easier to cultivate, does not require much chemicals, and fertilizers are simpler. After two months of cultivation, he can harvest a large amount of corn stems. "Corn is planted for about 2 - 2.5 months, when it has just sprouted silk, formed latex, and has young fruit, it can be harvested. This is the stage when the corn absorbs the highest amount of nutrients, suitable for feeding dairy cows, and the milk quality is very good," Mr. Le Thanh Hai assessed.

"The support for farmers to grow biomass corn for livestock farming is also of great interest to us in the Cat Tien Agriculture Department," said Ms. Ho Thi Lam, an agricultural extension worker. According to her, if we do not proactively source high-nutrient green matter, dairy cows will not develop well and the milk supply will be uneven. According to Ms. Lam, the Nam Cat Tien Dairy Cooperative is currently growing biomass corn as well as purchasing biomass corn grown by farmers, silaging it to sell to dairy farmers. With a purchase price of 900 VND to 1,100 VND/kg of fresh corn stalks, after silage, the cooperative supplies it to farmers at 2,200 VND/kg. Each cow eats up to 20 - 25 kg of raw material/day. Therefore, supporting farmers with the biomass corn growing model and serving livestock farming is a very effective model, helping farmers get used to biomass farming to serve the cow herd.

Mr. Le Van Dac, an officer of the Lam Dong Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, said that the project to demonstrate a model of corn production for animal feed in three localities of Da Huoai district belongs to the Project to Build a model of corn production for animal feed in the Central Highlands provinces, under the Central Agricultural Extension Program in 2024. To support farmers in getting acquainted with planting and proactively providing raw materials for animal husbandry, the project has invested in specialized biomass corn varieties for households, provided technical guidance to farmers, and supported part of the fertilizers as well as necessary medicines. Farmers have contributed funds and actively participated in technical training to cultivate best, achieving the highest corn yield. Mr. Dac assessed that although it is a new area for developing dairy farming, the areas of Cat Tien town and Phuoc Cat town have shown good results in raising this high-quality livestock breed. Therefore, the support of scientists and the agricultural sector is necessary to accompany people in the sustainable development of dairy farming.

Source: http://baolamdong.vn/kinh-te/202501/ho-tro-nong-dan-trong-bap-nuoi-bo-sua-d6818dc/