Livelihoods thanks to 'golden windfalls'

To raise deer for antler velvet production effectively, it's essential to select good breeding stock and ensure proper nutrition. Photo: Cam Ky.

Waiting for the day to reap the rewards.

Mr. Nguyen Chi Cong (57 years old, residing in Phuong Hoang village, Son Ham commune, Huong Son district) is one of the households involved in deer farming for antler velvet. He shared that deer are easy to care for, require less food than other livestock, but yield much higher economic returns. Previously, deer farmers could only harvest antlers once a year, but now people have developed methods to harvest two batches annually, with each pair averaging 0.8 - 1kg, and exceptionally healthy deer can yield up to 2kg of antlers.

According to Mr. Cong, deer farming is more economically viable than raising buffalo or cattle. If you consider the amount of feed, one cow can eat as much as five deer. A healthy person would struggle to find food for two cows, but caring for 7-8 deer would be easy. Meanwhile, deer yield antlers twice a year.

Previously, deer farming required arduous work in the forest, cutting leaves, but now farmers in Huong Son have converted their less productive rice fields to grass cultivation. Areas of land previously used for rice and other crops have been converted to grass cultivation for livestock.

"To raise deer for antler velvet effectively, you must select good breeding stock and ensure a nutritious food source during the care process. When the deer are young, they only need to be fed leaves such as milkweed, jackfruit leaves, lychee leaves, banana leaves... and when they start to sprout antlers, supplement their diet with young corn, cassava, and sticky rice," Mr. Cong said.

Visiting the deer farm of Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh (69 years old, residing in Son Giang commune, Huong Son district) coincided with the family's antler harvesting season. Busy preparing to cut the antlers, Mr. Binh said that his family currently raises 6 purebred deer, aged 3 years or older, including 5 male deer that are ready for antler harvesting, estimated to bring in an economic profit of about 50 million VND. To meet customer demand, he has to mobilize family members and ask some local people for help.

"Deer are naturally timid, so harvesting their antlers requires the help of four or five neighbors. This year, the harvest came earlier, and the prices are high at the beginning of the season, so we're very happy," Mr. Binh said.

Holding a rope tied to a bamboo pole, Mr. Binh looped it over the gate of the deer enclosure to trap it. When the deer fell into the trap, he and his neighbors tied its legs, held it tightly, and then used a small saw to gently cut off each antler growing on its head. This pair of antlers weighed approximately 800 grams. Currently, antlers are selling for about 1.1 million VND per 100 grams.

Mr. Binh added that deer farming has become the main occupation for most people in the district, with some households raising a few deer, while others raise more than a dozen. The deer antler harvesting season begins around the Lunar New Year, lasting sporadically until May, but the peak season is from January to March (lunar calendar).

"Every deer farmer wants to sell their antlers at the beginning of the year to earn higher profits, but not every deer yields antler velvet at the right time. Antler velvet needs 45-50 days to grow to the standard; if cut prematurely, the weight will be low, while if left for too long, the velvet will become old and its quality will decrease," Mr. Binh added.

Besides raising deer for antlers, according to locals in Huong Son, combining it with raising female deer also creates a significant additional source of income. Each year, female deer reproduce once; if they give birth to a male, it can be sold as breeding stock for 15-25 million VND/animal, while if they give birth to a female, it fetches 8-10 million VND/animal. Thus, each pair of parent deer can generate an income of 20-50 million VND per year.

The price of antlers has increased significantly this year, providing breeders with additional income.

Rising to become wealthy

The family of Ms. Dang Thi Hien (residing in Ha Son village, Quang Diem commune, Huong Son district) currently raises 17 deer, including 11 male deer. Thanks to good care and investment, this year the family harvested about 9kg of antlers worth over 100 million VND.

Like Ms. Hien's family, deer farmers in Quang Diem commune are very excited this year because the deer antler harvest is abundant and the prices are good. With high economic efficiency, deer farming is becoming the choice of many people in Quang Diem commune to develop their family economy.

"The day of harvesting antlers is also the happiest day for deer farmers because after days of care, it's time to reap the rewards of their labor. Even better, the price of antlers is quite high this year, which provides farmers with extra income," Ms. Hien said with a smile.

As one of the households raising many deer in Son Lam commune (Huong Son district), Mr. Nguyen Van Luan (61 years old) shared that thanks to deer farming, his family has become more prosperous, able to buy a new car and have savings. Speaking about deer farming, Mr. Luan smiled, saying that in recent years, the price of deer has increased, and deer antlers are trusted by many people, so the locals are very happy.

Previously, deer antlers were often ground into a powder or dried and used to make porridge or sliced and soaked in alcohol. Now, the people of Huong Son have processed deer antlers into many more refined and convenient products, such as soluble powder, deer antler extract, deer antler base extract, etc. Many of these products have established brands and have been registered as OCOP products.

Cutting velvet antlers requires the help of others.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, deer antler velvet has the effect of nourishing the body, increasing resistance, and is especially good for the elderly, those recovering from illness, people with weak constitutions, malnourished children, and postpartum women.

Speaking with a reporter from Dai Doan Ket Newspaper, Mr. Tran Quang Hoa, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Huong Son district, said that the entire district currently has a deer herd of over 44,500 animals. This is also the main economic product of the locality, helping people have a good and stable income.

"The district has identified livestock farming as a key focus in economic development, with deer farming being the main activity. Therefore, many policies have been implemented to conserve and develop the deer population."

Currently, Ha Tinh province is investing in a program to select 100 healthy male deer in Huong Son for breeding purposes to conserve, maintain, and improve the quality of the herd, and minimize inbreeding that causes herd decline, with a support of 2 million VND/deer/year,” Mr. Hoa said.

According to Mr. Hoa, before and after the Lunar New Year in 2024, it is expected that there will be approximately 21,000 deer producing antlers, yielding over 18.9 tons. With a selling price ranging from 10 to 11 million VND/kg, the entire district is estimated to earn nearly 200 billion VND from the sale of antlers.

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