Efforts to escape poverty

With his own efforts, up to now, the family of Mr. Nguyen Tan Vien, in Truong Giang village, Tra Tan commune (Tra Bong) has risen out of poverty. This achievement is thanks to Mr. Vien's calculation and diligence in raising livestock.

In 2010, Mr. Vien got married and moved out with nothing. His family's income depended on a few fields, pigs and chickens, but it was not enough to eat. Then 3 children were born one after another, making life even more difficult, poverty continued to haunt the couple. After that, with the attention of the commune government and associations, Mr. Vien was supported with a breeding cow.

Thanks to the development of cattle farming, Nguyen Tan Vien's family has escaped poverty. PHOTO: PV

After 3 years of care, his family's cow gave birth to 2 calves. He transferred 1 calf to another poor household to invest in livestock development. From 1 initial breeding cow and 1 new calf, Mr. Vien continued to raise and expand the herd. At first, due to lack of experience, the process of raising cows also encountered many difficulties, but he and his wife always tried to research and learn from experience to raise cows effectively. Mr. Vien determined to only sell the bulls, and keep the cows for breeding, to expand the herd. Realizing that raising cows helps stabilize his family's life, in 2018, Mr. Vien was determined to borrow more capital from the Transaction Office of the Social Policy Bank of Tra Bong district to invest in more breeding cows; at the same time, invest in expanding the cow breeding barn on a larger scale.

Currently, his family's cow barn is quite well-invested, with a scale of nearly 200m2, with a roof system, feeding troughs, food storage... In the barn, there are 15 cows, of which 6 are breeding cows, the rest are beef cows and calves. Mr. Vien said that since the beginning of the year, he has sold 4 cows, each priced from 10 to 15 million VND.

The income from selling beef and breeding cattle to local households has helped his family ease their difficulties. “Every year, I sell about 10 calves and beef cattle. From the money from selling cows, I continue to invest and cover my living expenses,” Mr. Vien shared. In 2020, Mr. Vien’s family escaped poverty to the joy of neighbors and local authorities.

To keep his herd healthy, Mr. Vien strictly follows the vaccination regimen. In addition to natural grazing, he also stores straw, grows elephant grass to feed the cows and increases nutrition in the winter, so his family's herd grows healthily. From Mr. Vien's cow raising model, many households in the village and commune have come to learn from his experience.

“Life is still difficult, but it is much better than before. Hopefully in the future, the price and output of cattle will be more stable, helping farmers feel secure in developing livestock. I also hope that poverty reduction programs will continue to support, not only helping my family but also many local households have the opportunity to escape poverty and become rich,” said Mr. Vien.

VU YEN