Raising bamboo rats opens up a new livelihood in Van Don.

QUANG NINH - Requiring minimal land area and moderate investment, the model of raising bamboo rats in the Van Don special economic zone is becoming a new direction in livestock farming, contributing to increasing income for local people.

In line with the trend of diversifying livestock, developing commercial farming, and increasing economic value, many households in the Van Don Special Economic Zone (Quang Ninh province) have boldly invested in commercial and breeding bamboo rats. Initially, the model has shown fairly stable economic efficiency due to its suitability to local conditions, relatively low breeding costs, and a relatively favorable market.

In village 10/10, Mr. Nguyen Tien Huan's breeding facility currently maintains approximately 220 breeding and commercial bamboo rats. The breeding enclosures are built with ceramic tiles, divided into separate compartments for convenient monitoring of growth, reproduction, and regular cleaning.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Huan's model of raising bamboo rats in village 10/10, Van Don Special Economic Zone. Photo: Nguyen Thanh.

According to Mr. Huan, before investing, his family spent time thoroughly researching the characteristics of the animals, care techniques, and market demand. Compared to many other livestock, bamboo rats have the advantage of being easy to care for, and their main food source is bamboo, sugarcane, corn, cassava, and various locally available vegetables, significantly reducing input costs.

"The most important thing when raising bamboo rats is to keep the cages dry and clean, and to ensure the food doesn't spoil. If cared for properly, bamboo rats are less susceptible to disease and grow quite steadily," Mr. Huan shared.

After about 6-7 months of raising, commercial bamboo rats can reach a weight of 1.5-3 kg/animal. In addition to income from selling commercial bamboo rats, households also earn extra income from breeding bamboo rats due to the increasing market demand.

Not only Mr. Huan's household, but recently, the model of raising specialty livestock with high economic value is gradually gaining attention from the people. This is also a direction that aligns with the agricultural development orientation of Quang Ninh province, which focuses on increasing added value and developing commodity production linked to the actual conditions of each locality.

According to the plan for developing key agricultural products until 2030, Quang Ninh continues to identify livestock farming as one of the important sectors of agriculture, focusing on developing pig, poultry, and cattle herds, along with many livestock farming models oriented towards commercial production, safety, and sustainability.

In the Van Don Special Economic Zone, according to the socio-economic report for April 2026, the total number of livestock and poultry in the entire area currently stands at nearly 97,600 head. Disease prevention and control efforts continue to be strengthened to ensure the safety of livestock production.

Forestry Department Area 3 guides people on implementing regulations related to the breeding and raising of wild animals. Photo: Nguyen Thanh.

With its vast hilly and forested areas, abundant natural food sources, and suitable climate conditions, Van Don is considered to have great potential for developing specialized livestock farming models on a household scale. However, to date, only two facilities for breeding bamboo rats have been registered in the entire area.

One of the factors that helps people feel secure in developing this model is the support of the local forest rangers. Over the past period, the Forest Ranger Station of Region 3 has actively guided people in implementing regulations related to wildlife breeding, checking the origin of breeding stock, the condition of enclosures, and assisting in completing registration procedures as required.

In addition, forest rangers regularly inspect and monitor breeding activities to promptly guide households in handling any issues that arise during the breeding process, ensuring that the development model complies with legal regulations, is safe, and sustainable.

In the context of the livestock industry facing numerous pressures from feed costs, diseases, and market fluctuations, models that utilize natural food sources and have a low incidence of disease, such as raising bamboo rats, are opening up more options for rural people.

According to assessments by relevant authorities, the development of this model needs to follow a systematic approach, avoiding spontaneous development driven by trends. Farmers need full support in terms of technical and legal aspects, as well as connections to product consumption, to minimize risks related to market access.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/nuoi-dui-mo-sinh-ke-moi-o-van-don-d812497.html