Unwilling to accept the recurring problem of "bumper harvest, low prices" for rice, Mr. Nguyen Van Mien, residing in Truong Phu A hamlet, Thoi Lai commune (Can Tho City), proactively sought new avenues to increase his income. Using leftover straw after harvest and readily available agricultural by-products in the area, he boldly developed a cattle breeding model, gradually creating a stable economic foundation for his family.
Mr. Nguyen Van Mien utilizes readily available cultivated grass and agricultural by-products as feed for his breeding cattle, helping to reduce breeding costs and improve economic efficiency. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.
Previously, despite diligently cultivating over 1.4 hectares of rice paddies, Mr. Mien's family's income remained unstable. Rising agricultural input costs, coupled with low profits from rice cultivation, led to significant hardship. Recognizing the local area's favorable conditions for developing large-scale livestock farming, especially the abundant feed sources from straw and corn stalks after harvest, Mr. Mien began researching and learning about cattle farming.
After visiting many successful farms both locally and internationally, and conducting his own research through books, newspapers, and the internet, in 2022 he decided to invest in building barns and buying his first breeding cows. Initially, he chose to raise both male and female 3B breed cows for meat production and herd expansion. However, after more than a year of care, when the cows began to reproduce, he realized that raising breeding cows provided a more stable and sustainable economic benefit.
After carefully calculating investment costs, labor, and product output, Mr. Mien decided to completely switch to breeding cattle, applying artificial insemination to improve the quality of his offspring. He sold two bulls, and the capital earned, along with a preferential loan of 50 million VND from the local government, helped him buy more cows and expand his herd.
You may also like
Agribank stands by and supports its borrowers.Credit security insurance (BATD) – a product jointly offered by branches of the Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (Agribank) in the province and the Agricultural Bank Insurance Joint Stock Company - Thanh Hoa Branch (ABIC Thanh Hoa) – is affirming its role as a solid and practical financial support for customers in rural areas. To date, Mr. Mien's family maintains a herd of 12-14 cows, including many breeding cows, calves, and beef cattle. Each year, his family sells about 7-8 cows, bringing in a profit of over 100 million VND, many times higher than their previous rice-based farming. Thanks to this, the family's economic life has improved significantly, allowing them to reinvest in production.
According to Mr. Mien, raising cattle is not overly complicated but requires diligence and a solid understanding of the techniques. The barns must be well-ventilated, clean, hygienic, and protected from harmful insects. He also emphasizes covering the cattle with mosquito nets, administering regular vaccinations, and cleaning the barns frequently to limit disease outbreaks, ensuring the herd grows well and minimizing losses.
One of the key factors contributing to the model's effectiveness is the proactive management of feed sources. Besides utilizing rice straw, Mr. Mien boldly converted a portion of his land to growing grass. Simultaneously, he and his wife regularly collect harvested corn stalks from the local area and surrounding regions to feed their cows. Thanks to their close relationships with neighbors, many households proactively contact them when they have corn to harvest, ensuring a consistently abundant feed supply.
The cattle breeding farm model of Mr. Nguyen Van Mien's family is built to be well-ventilated, clean, and hygienic, creating favorable conditions for the herd to grow well and minimizing disease outbreaks. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.
Not stopping there, Mr. Mien also selected and raised many breeds of cattle with high productivity and meat quality such as 3B, Angus, Brahman… to meet market demand. He invested in additional machines for chopping grass and corn to reduce labor and help the cows digest food more easily, increasing their growth rate.
Vietnam encourages US businesses to expand investment in high technology.On the morning of June 26th, at the Government Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung received Mr. Jeff Place, Supply Chain Director of Coherent Group (USA). During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam encourages US businesses to expand investment, especially in high-tech, innovation, and semiconductor industries. The model's effectiveness is further enhanced by utilizing cow manure. Instead of discarding it, Mr. Mien collects, composts, and sells organic fertilizer to farmers within and outside the commune, supplying hundreds of bags annually and generating a significant additional income.
Commenting on this model, Mr. Vo Van Thao, Head of the Farmers' Association in Truong Phu A hamlet, said that this is a prime example of diligence and creativity in agricultural production. According to him, Mr. Mien's quick success stems from his ability to utilize existing advantages and persistently pursue his goals, which has brought high income to his family.
Mr. Tran Van Tinh, Chairman of the Thoi Lai Commune Farmers' Association, said: "Mr. Mien's cattle breeding model not only brings economic benefits to his family but also has the potential to be replicated. For households with suitable land and a readily available food source from agricultural by-products, this is a promising direction, contributing to diversifying livelihoods and increasing income for local farmers in the context of agricultural production needing sustainable and long-term adaptable models."
Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/thoat-canh-doc-canh-lua-nho-mo-hinh-nuoi-bo-sinh-san-d793743.html
![The Essence of the Viet Bac Villages: [Part 3] The Precious Fragrance of Nghinh Tuong](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/402x226/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/05/29/1780020600366_5237-tinh-tuy-ban-lang-viet-bac-bai-3-chuyen-o-nghinh-tuong-050626_700.jpeg)
![The Quintessence of Northern Vietnam's Villages: [Part 2] The Famous Cassava Noodles of Kunming](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/402x226/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/05/28/1779937455892_3929-3144-mien-dong-15-nongnghiep-023138.jpeg)
![The Essence of the Village: [Part 1] Wine on the mountain, tea in the clouds - Bang Phuc](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/402x226/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/05/27/1779841729178_3821-1jpg-nongnghiep-103814.jpeg)
![[Photo] Thousands of people participate in a run to show their support for the campaign "Sharing a common determination to build drug-free communes, wards, and special zones".](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/06/27/1782554475933_0673e2a3df7b5e25076a-8283-jpg.webp)
