Raising hybrid wild boar on hilly land is highly effective

QUANG NGAI Mr. Huynh Than in Quang Ngai raises hybrid wild boars for free-range sale, taking advantage of agricultural by-products, exporting 2-5 tons of meat each year, providing a stable income.

In the middle of Khanh Giang hill (Thien Tin commune, Quang Ngai province), every morning and afternoon, the sound of the gong from veteran Huynh Than's farm makes a herd of wild boars rush out from the bushes and grass, trotting back to their pens.

Veteran Huynh Than has succeeded with the free-range pig farming model. Photo: VH

On a large plot of land, surrounded by a lush orchard, Mr. Than approached the gong hanging on the tree trunk and knocked loudly a few times. In just a moment, dozens of pigs, big and small, quickly ran towards him. He poured out on a plastic sheet sometimes chopped banana stems, sometimes thinly sliced ​​jackfruit, sometimes dry flour mixed with thick water... the pigs with long, black fur and healthy figures jostled each other to eat deliciously.

“In the past, I used bamboo clappers to call them home. Just knocking, knocking, knocking... Later, I switched to gongs, and they quickly adapted. Hearing the call, they knew they were being fed, so they hurriedly ran home,” Mr. Than smiled kindly.

Talking about his “fate” with hybrid wild boars, he said that this model started from watching an agricultural program on television. Seeing that this breed was easy to raise and suited to the hilly climate, he traveled all the way to Violac Pass to buy a male breed that was trapped by the locals, and brought it back to crossbreed with domestic pigs.

“After a while, I had my own breeding herd. The mother pigs reproduced naturally, without having to import them from elsewhere. I just kept building and maintaining one litter after another,” Mr. Than said.

Mr. Huynh Than rings the gong to call the pigs home. Photo: VH

Instead of using industrial farming methods, Mr. Huynh Than chose to semi-free range, letting the pigs freely graze in the garden. Their food mainly consists of banana tree trunks, ripe fallen jackfruit, leaves, wild vegetables and agricultural by-products. Every day, he only feeds them two meals of diluted flour or rice bran, which are nutritious enough.

“If they are kept in captivity, their meat will be too fatty and people will criticize them. If they are left free-range, their meat will be firm, fragrant, and sweet. We just need to feed them on time and ring the gong so they will know to come home,” Mr. Than said.

Thanks to the available food sources around the house, his pigs have few diseases, low cost and high efficiency. On average, each year, he sells 2-3 tons of meat, after deducting expenses, he still makes a profit of more than 40 million VND. In good years, the output reaches 4-5 tons, selling price is about 150,000 VND/kg.

"Naturally raised wild boar has delicious meat. Regular customers order in advance so there's no need to worry about output," he shared.

Not only does this model bring in a stable income, it also helps him make use of vacant land, keep the environment clean and limit agricultural waste. He jokingly said: “Banana and jackfruit trees in the garden never go to waste, everything can become food for pigs.”

In addition to raising hybrid wild boars, Mr. Than also develops fruit trees. Photo: VH

Few people know that the man with white hair and a gentle smile was once a brave scout during the resistance war. In 1971, when he was not yet 20 years old, Huynh Than enlisted in the army, joining the reconnaissance troops in Nghia Hanh district (old). After 1975, he was discharged from the army and returned to his hometown, carrying with him the spirit of a soldier to begin his journey of reclaiming land and making a living.

At that time, the Khanh Giang hill area was still wild and full of rocks. With determination and acumen, he boldly reclaimed dozens of hectares of land to grow sugarcane. Thanks to his hard work, after only a few years, he became the "sugarcane king" of the area. When the economy was better, he divided the land among his relatives and comrades who were still in difficulty. From the initial 50 hectares, he only kept 10 hectares for himself.

Then, when the sugarcane market was unstable, he switched to growing acacia. The government launched a movement to renovate mixed gardens and develop fruit trees, and he was the first to respond. He systematically planned five hectares of hilly land with hundreds of green-skinned pomelo, durian, Thai jackfruit, orange, tangerine trees, etc. The by-products from farming became an abundant source of food for his herd of hybrid wild boars.

As a war invalid and a member of the Veterans Association, Mr. Huynh Than has been recognized for many years as a good and exemplary farmer in the locality. The commune government highly appreciates him for knowing how to apply science and technology to livestock and crop farming and is willing to share his experience with the people.

Recalling his life journey, he just smiled gently: “I am used to hardship. As long as I have strength, I will continue to work. I am happy every day when I can ring the gong to call the pigs, take care of the plants, and do gardening.”

In the middle of Thien Tin hill, the veteran's gong still rings out regularly every morning and evening - not only to call the hybrid wild boars back to the pen to eat, but also as a simple melody of the diligent working life, of the will of the soldiers of the past that has never faded.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/nuoi-heo-rung-lai-tren-dat-doi-cho-hieu-qua-cao-d784062.html