Ha Tinh mountainous district estimates to earn more than 223 billion VND from deer antlers

The main antler season in Huong Son lasts from the first to the fourth lunar month, when male deer produce the best antlers of the year. Seizing this “golden time”, local businesses have actively purchased and consumed products for breeders.

Huong Son Agricultural Joint Stock Company focuses on processing products from deer antlers.

This year, Huong Son Agricultural Joint Stock Company purchased nearly 2 tons of fresh velvet, an increase of about 500 kg compared to the same period last year. This result not only reflects the stable velvet output but also shows the effectiveness of investing in processing velvet products. Instead of only consuming fresh velvet, the company has promoted the production of products such as: velvet wine, dried velvet powder, velvet soaked in honey... thereby expanding the consumption market and increasing the value of the product.

Mr. Tran Dinh Chien - Director of the company said: “We determined that if we want to develop sustainably, we must accompany the breeders. Therefore, the company has signed contracts to purchase deer antler products with a number of farms and hundreds of households in the district. At the same time, we provide technical support, breeding animals and guidance on care processes to ensure stable antler quality. Thanks to this close connection, the raw material area is increasingly expanded and more uniform, creating a solid foundation for developing deeply processed products as well as affirming the Huong Son deer antler brand in the market”.

This year, Ms. Thai Thi Van's family (Chau Binh commune) earned more than 60 million VND from deer antlers.

The fact that processing enterprises actively purchase velvet not only contributes to timely consumption of products but also promotes the increasingly prosperous market of deer velvet in Huong Son. Thanks to that, the value of the product is significantly increased, at the same time adding confidence and motivation for people to boldly invest and stick with the deer farming profession for a long time.

Previously, Ms. Thai Thi Van’s family (Chau Binh commune) only raised 5 deer (including 3 males, 2 females) along with 5 cows. However, after a long time of raising deer, realizing the obvious economic efficiency of this “specialty” livestock, last year, her family decided to sell the entire herd of cows, invest in renovating the barn and buying more breeding deer. To date, the family’s herd of deer has increased to 15, including 7 male deer.

“This year’s antler season, all 7 male deer produced good quality antlers, helping the family earn more than 60 million VND. In addition, we also have additional income from selling baby deer. Thanks to raising deer, life is more stable, the family economy is growing,” Ms. Van shared.

The joy of the deer antler harvest of Huong Son people.

Sharing the joy with Ms. Van, Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh’s family in Quang Diem commune also had a “bumper harvest” of deer antlers. His family currently has 17 deer, of which 9 are male deer that are at their prime for antlers. Thanks to careful care and proper application of technical procedures, the family has harvested about 7 kg of antlers, bringing in a revenue of nearly 80 million VND.

Mr. Thanh shared: “This year, the selling price of velvet is stable, fluctuating at 10-12 million VND/kg depending on quality and design. Thanks to that, my family has a good income and more confidence in the long-term development path of deer farming.”

Currently, Huong Son district has a herd of more than 48,000 deer.

Huong Son district currently has more than 48,000 deer, an increase of nearly 1,000 over the same period last year. The number of deer producing antlers alone is over 22,000, mainly concentrated in communes such as Son Giang, Quang Diem, Son Lam, Ham Truong, Son Trung, Son Ninh... This year, due to the increase in both quantity and quality of deer herds, the antler output is estimated to reach nearly 21 tons, worth more than 223 billion VND (in 2024, the antler output will reach 19.85 tons, worth more than 200 billion VND).

Currently, many businesses have invested in deer farming combined with deep processing of deer antler products to increase product value and competitiveness in the market. The whole district has 19 products processed from deer antlers that meet OCOP 3-4 star standards such as: fresh deer antlers, sliced ​​dried deer antlers, powdered dried deer antlers, deer antler wine... trusted by customers, with a wide open market.

This year's main crop of deer antlers has high quality, stable prices, and favorable output, so farmers are very excited and have more motivation to expand the scale and improve the quality of the herd. In the coming time, the locality will continue to develop deer farming in a sustainable direction, in which improving the quality of breeding herds is the foundation to increase productivity and breeding efficiency. At the same time, promote deep processing to diversify products from deer antlers and upgrade existing OCOP products to meet the increasing demand of the market. In addition, the application of scientific and technological advances in antler processing and the effective use of social networks for promotion will also be important factors to increase competitiveness, gradually bringing Huong Son deer antlers to the domestic and international markets.

Mr. Do Thanh Tinh - Deputy Head of Department of Agriculture and Environment of Huong Son district

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/huyen-mien-nui-ha-tinh-uoc-thu-hon-223-ty-dong-tu-nhung-huou-post287854.html