Improving the quality of the cattle herd.

(QBĐT) - In recent years, Tuyen Hoa district has focused on disseminating information and implementing various policies to support people in developing hybrid cattle farming with a focus on improving quality.

Previously, most people in Tuyen Hoa district raised local grass-fed cattle; the farming methods were small-scale, mainly family-based, and involved free-range grazing. The cattle were small in size and weight, and had a low meat yield, resulting in low farming efficiency.

To develop and improve the quality of the cattle herd in the district, Tuyen Hoa district has developed and implemented the "Project for the Development of Hybrid Cattle Herds in the period 2016-2020". Accordingly, the District People's Committee has taken advantage of funding from various programs and projects to support the purchase of 1,283 hybrid female cows and 5 hybrid Sind bulls to support the people; at the same time, it has provided over 380 million VND to households to grow grass, increasing the area of ​​grass grown for buffalo and cattle to nearly 600 hectares. Disease prevention and control, protection against cold and hunger for the cattle herd, and environmental hygiene in livestock farming have always been given attention… By 2020, the total cattle herd in the district reached 16,000 head, of which hybrid cattle accounted for 67.5% of the total herd.

People in Tuyen Hoa district are taking care of their herd of hybrid cattle.

Based on the results achieved, at the beginning of 2021, Tuyen Hoa district continued to issue the "Concentrated Livestock Farming Project for the period 2021-2025". To date, all communes and towns in the district have completed the planning of concentrated livestock farming areas; disease prevention and control, pasture development, and feed storage and processing for cattle have always been given priority.

Tien Hoa commune has 770 cows, of which 90% are crossbred. To improve the quality of the herd, the commune's People's Committee has promoted and supported farmers in applying artificial insemination methods to 3B breed cows on local crossbred cows (Sind and Brahman crossbreeds). In early 2023, the commune also established a professional association for breeding crossbred cows in Bau 3 village and mobilized social resources to support the provision of 3B breed cows to the people.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Phu, from Bau 3 village, shared: “Besides receiving breeding cows, I also received training in livestock farming, care, grass cultivation, and feed processing for hybrid cows, which I then shared with other villagers. To date, the village's herd has 110 cows, of which about 95% are hybrid cows.”

Thanks to raising hybrid cattle breeds, many households in Tuyen Hoa district have become wealthy.

Mr. Le Quang Toa, residing in Bau 3 village, Tien Hoa commune, happily shared: “I find that all hybrid cattle breeds develop well, with higher productivity and economic efficiency compared to local breeds. Hybrid calves are also very voracious eaters, gain weight quickly, and require lower feed costs compared to other breeds.” Previously, Mr. Toa's family mainly raised local cattle breeds, but the economic efficiency was not high. Since 2023, with guidance and information from the commune's Farmers' Association, he has artificially inseminated two Sind crossbred cows with the 3B breed. Now, his two cows have given birth to two calves with superior physiques compared to previous litters, promising to bring a high income to his family.

Thuan Hoa is a mountainous commune with a fairly large area of ​​agricultural land, favorable for livestock development. Taking advantage of this, many people in the commune have developed hybrid cattle farming. Currently, the total cattle herd in the commune is 342 head, of which 303 are hybrid cattle.

According to Deputy Chairman of Tuyen Hoa District People's Committee Dinh Tien Dung: “In the coming time, the District People's Committee will continue to promote and create favorable conditions for people to raise hybrid cattle; allocate land to households in need to quickly bring concentrated livestock farming areas into operation. We strive to achieve an 80% rate of hybrid cattle in the entire district by the end of 2025. The district will also build more disease-free zones, livestock farms that meet the criteria, convert inefficient crop land to grass cultivation for cattle feed, and strengthen investment linkages in production along the value chain.”

According to Nguyen Xuan Cac, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thuan Hoa commune: "In the past, the commune has coordinated with specialized agencies to organize training courses to improve knowledge, techniques, and cattle care for livestock farmers; and provided financial support to people to buy cattle breeds, plant grass, and purchase feed processing machines for cattle. As a result, the number and quality of hybrid cattle herds have increased significantly."

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Tu, residing in Xuan Canh village, Thuan Hoa commune, is raising 5 cows, including 3 hybrid cows bred from 3B breeds through artificial insemination. Mr. Tu shared: “Compared to local breeds, the hybrid cows are larger, grow faster, and have higher productivity. Some of my hybrid cows fetch twice the price of local breeds. To care for the herd, I've dedicated nearly one sao (approximately 1000 square meters) of land in my garden, utilizing the fragmented agricultural land to grow grass and make straw for the cows to eat.”

According to many local cattle breeders, through the breeding process, hybrid cattle breeds have demonstrated outstanding advantages, such as: easy to raise, fast growth, delicious meat quality, and a higher carcass yield compared to other breeds, making them very popular with traders…

Xuan Vuong

Source: https://baoquangbinh.vn/kinh-te/202504/nang-cao-chat-luong-dan-bo-2225541/