Escape poverty from extensive goat farming model

Taking advantage of the mountainous terrain, people in Son Dong commune have developed an extensive goat farming model that is both cost-effective and highly economically efficient.

Escape poverty by raising goats

In previous years, Mr. Tran Quang Son's family (Phu Hung village, Son Dong commune) was always on the near-poor list, with many difficulties in life. Since 2023, Mr. Son's family has gradually escaped poverty thanks to the benefits of the State's policies through support for breeds and techniques to develop an extensive goat farming model.

It is known that this model is a popular farming method in places with large grazing areas such as the midlands and mountains. Its advantages are that it does not require much care, the natural food that goats eat is diverse and abundant, there are few diseases and because it almost preserves the natural habits, the price of free-range goat meat is higher than that of confinement methods.

Extensive goat farming model is especially suitable for places with large grazing areas such as midlands and mountainous areas. Photo: Dung Thieu.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Tran Quang Son shared: “From 2023, I received support from the state for 10 breeding goats and my family boldly invested in 10 more. Thanks to regular technical support, at one point, my family's herd of goats grew to nearly 40. The advantage of this farming method is that it does not require too much care, the goats eat natural grass so it is very cost-effective. Meanwhile, the selling price is high (about 150,000 VND/kg), so thanks to that, my family gradually escaped poverty."

Mr. Giap Van Thong, Vice Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Son Dong Commune, said: "Raising goats does not require complicated techniques. As long as the farmer feeds them with enough nutrients, the goats will rarely get sick. Goats give birth twice a year (a large litter will give birth to about 2 kids, a small litter will give birth to 1 kid) and if well cared for, people only need to graze them for about 8 months before they can sell them. Therefore, many households in Son Dong Commune have received support from the government for breeds and are encouraged to re-herd for economic development. Mr. Tran Quang Son's household is one of the typical goat raising models in the locality."

Currently, the market demand for commercial goats, especially goats raised using natural grazing methods, is very large, so farmers do not have to worry about output. According to Mr. Tran Quang Son, a commercial goat weighing an average of about 30 kg (with a home purchase price of about 150,000 VND/kg) is worth about 4-4.5 million VND/head. With the ability to reproduce continuously and a not-too-long raising time, people will have a relatively stable source of income while not having to spend too much effort on care and feeding. "My family does not have goats to sell. My herd of goats is not enough to meet the needs of the locality, let alone other places," Mr. Son said excitedly.

Mr. Tran Quang Son talks with reporters about the extensive goat farming model. Photo: Quan Dung.

Need to replicate the model

Due to the mountainous characteristics and large grazing areas, the extensive goat farming model is particularly suitable for farmers in Son Dong commune. Mr. Giap Van Thong, Vice Chairman of the Commune Farmers' Association, said that the local government always encourages households to re-herd and develop their herds, but so far it has only stopped at small-scale models of households with herds of a few dozen goats or less.

Mr. Tran Quang Son counts the goats when they return to the barn. Photo: Dung Thieu.

Talking about the reason why he could not develop his goat herd, Mr. Tran Quang Son said: “I have tried to import goats from other places to raise, but the goats often died. Our people call it drowning because the goats are from other places and are not used to the soil, climate, and food. Meanwhile, the goats growing in this area are not affected and develop normally. Therefore, most of the goat herd development depends on natural reproduction, so it is very slow. Not to mention, to maintain the economy, we also have to sell a part of the adult goats, so the herd size cannot develop quickly.”

Mr. Son expressed his wish, "The State should continue to have policies to support people to expand the goat farming model, especially support for breeds and farming techniques. Most of us are near-poor households or have just escaped poverty, so we do not have enough money to buy breeds to raise. In fact, some households in the commune also come to our house to learn the model and then spend their own money to buy breeds, but as mentioned above, buying breeds from other places often causes goats to die. After a few times like that, they get bored and give up. So if the State continues to support breeds and techniques, I think many households will participate."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, Deputy Head of the Culture Department, Son Dong Commune People's Committee, said: "Currently, the locality is developing a plan to implement poverty reduction programs according to the province's allocation. Accordingly, we will review cases eligible for incentives, and at the same time evaluate which economic development models are suitable, effective, and need to be replicated to create conditions for people to access seeds, materials, and techniques according to the state's preferential policies. The goal is to develop and replicate effective models that have depth and local identity."

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/thoat-ngheo-tu-mo-hinh-nuoi-de-quang-canh-d782923.html