Old farmer pockets 500 million dong from raising cows

LAI CHAU Every year, Mr. Doan Van Kien (Tan Uyen commune, Lai Chau province) earns 500 million VND from raising cows and is voted in the group of Outstanding Vietnamese Farmers in 2025.

Journey of Mastery

Mr. Kien used to make a living as a “buffalo driver”, wandering around villages and markets from Tan Uyen to Lai Chau city (old), buying buffaloes and reselling them for profit. “The buffalo driver job is very hard, exposed to the sun and rain, staying up all night in the field. Working forever is just enough to eat, not much left over,” he recalled.

Mr. Kien pays close attention to vaccinating cows against Pasteurellosis, Foot and Mouth Disease... Photo: Duc Binh.

In 2019, after many years of saving, he decided to "retire" and use the land behind his house to build a barn to raise breeding cows.

On an area of ​​about 500 m², he built a solid, airy barn with a food storage facility. Based on his experience, he chose to buy healthy, good-breed cattle for breeding. He carefully selected cows, mainly 3B, Lai Sind and Brahman breeds thanks to their large weight, fast growth and delicious meat.

“Compared to local cows, 3B cows have twice the meat content and are sold by weight, so their value is more stable,” he said. Thanks to their obvious effectiveness, after only a few years, he expanded his barn to more than 800 square meters, raising more than 100 cows.

To proactively source food, he planted 2 hectares of elephant grass, adding corn bran when necessary. The cows are vaccinated every 6 months to prevent foot-and-mouth disease and anthrax.

Despite the large scale of farming, his farm has no foul odor. The secret is biological bedding made from sawdust, rice husks and probiotics. “I spread a 20-30 cm layer of rice husks on the floor of the barn, and every 15-20 days I sprinkle a new layer and probiotics. This method effectively eliminates odors, reduces disease, and saves cleaning time,” he explained.

His herd of cows grows well, each year selling for an average price of 80,000 - 100,000 VND/kg, traders come directly to the barn to buy, selling more than 50 - 80 cows/year.

Focus on deep processing

In addition to raising livestock, Mr. Kien and his wife also developed dried products from buffalo, cows, and pigs. Taking advantage of available raw materials, they learned techniques from facilities in the province, then researched and perfected the formula themselves.

These are also specialties of Lai Chau province in particular and the Northwest region in general. The products of dried buffalo, dried beef, dried pork, sausage, Chinese sausage, ham, chicken marinated with herbs, etc. of Mr. Kien's family are highly appreciated by consumers in and outside the province. Many products made from buffalo, beef, and pork of Mr. Kien's family have been recognized as 3-star OCOP products.

Dried products such as buffalo jerky are very popular with customers. Photo: Duc Binh.

While working and gaining experience, his family's processed products from buffalo, cow, and pig gradually affirmed their brand and were ordered by many localities inside and outside the province, especially during Tet, the average price of each buffalo jerky product is about 600,000 VND/kg, pork jerky is about 400,000 VND/kg,...

To make quality dried buffalo and dried pork products, Mr. Kien pays special attention to every step, from selecting meat, slicing meat to seasoning and drying.

Mr. Kien gave an example of the steps to make buffalo jerky, which usually have 3 main steps: choosing the meat, marinating the meat and drying. “The meat must be selected from the good, long-grained thigh, cut along the grain to keep its toughness. After marinating with mac khen, garlic, chili, doi seeds, lemongrass... for about 4 hours, it is dried. Thanks to that, the meat has its own flavor and is not smoky,” he added.

Thanks to his mastery of the processing process, his family's products both ensure food safety and have a strong Northwest flavor. Currently, each year, the processing facility brings in more than 1 billion VND in revenue, over 500 million VND in profit, and at the same time creates jobs for many local workers.

Chairman of Tan Uyen Commune People's Committee, Mr. Chu Van Thanh, highly appreciated economic development models like Mr. Kien's household. According to Mr. Thanh, promoting livestock farming associated with deep processing not only helps increase product value, but also forms a unique identity for local products, creating an impression on tourists and consumers when referring to Tan Uyen Commune.

In the coming time, the commune government plans to expand the 3B commercial cattle breeding model, encourage people to join forces to develop centralized processing facilities, thereby effectively consuming buffalo, cow, and pig resources in the area, contributing to increasing income and developing a sustainable collective economy.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/lao-nong-bo-tui-500-trieu-dong-nho-nuoi-bo-d783894.html