Prospects from the bamboo rat

- In recent years, along with the diversification of crop and livestock structures, people in Nhat Hoa commune have boldly experimented with developing a model of raising bamboo rats, and it has initially yielded positive results.

The bamboo rat farming model of Mr. Vi Văn Hưng, Nà Gỗ village.

In 2016, Mr. Ha Van Phong, from Thai Bang 1 village, was one of the first households in Nhat Hoa commune to invest in developing a bamboo rat farming model. After researching the techniques, he bought 50 bamboo rats to raise. “Initially, I was worried because this is a new livestock, and not many people in the area had raised them before to learn from. But in reality, raising bamboo rats is quite simple, they are less prone to disease, and the feed costs are low, mainly consisting of sugarcane, bamboo, corn... readily available around the house,” Mr. Phong shared.

After more than a year of raising them, he selected those with docile characteristics to use as breeding stock and began expanding the model. Besides wild bamboo rats, he also researched market demand and the economic value of other bamboo rat species and continued to invest in raising more spotted bamboo rats and peach-cheeked bamboo rats. To date, he maintains 100 breeding pairs of bamboo rats, with an average of 2-3 litters per year, each female giving birth to 3-5 offspring per litter. With selling prices of 500,000 VND/kg for spotted bamboo rats, 600-700,000 VND/kg for peach-cheeked bamboo rats, and breeding pairs from 1.5 million VND, Mr. Phong's family earns about 200 million VND per year.

Seeing the effectiveness, people in the commune came to visit and learn from the experience. Mr. Vi Van Hung, from Na Go village, said: "After learning about Mr. Phong's bamboo rat farming model, I came to learn from his experience. In 2020, I repurposed my pigsty to create separate enclosures and invested in 12 pairs of bamboo rats to raise. To date, I have expanded to 50 breeding pairs. Through the farming process, I have found that as long as the enclosures are kept clean, dry, and have enough food, the bamboo rats develop healthily and rarely get sick. Bamboo rat babies can be sold for breeding after about 3 months, and after 8 months they can be sold for meat. On average, I sell about 100 bamboo rats per year, earning over 100 million VND."

Not only the two families mentioned above, but many people in the commune have proactively learned and developed the model of raising bamboo rats. Currently, the entire commune has 10 households raising bamboo rats, concentrated in Na Go and Thai Bang 1 villages. Some households raise 100-300 rats, while others raise 20-30. The farmers regularly meet and exchange experiences on selecting breeds, maintaining suitable temperatures, and identifying and preventing diseases. According to bamboo rat breeders, this animal rarely gets sick; they just need to keep the cages clean, and the main food source is bamboo, sugarcane, and corn. In hot weather, people often equip the cages with fans to cool them, and in winter, they line them with straw to keep them warm. Currently, the bamboo rats from Nhat Hoa have a stable market both within and outside the province, such as Bac Ninh and Hanoi ... In fact, the farmers cannot supply enough to meet market demand.

Mr. Vy Van Huyen, Head of the Economic Department of Nhat Hoa Commune, assessed: "The bamboo rat farming model is a new model but has great potential, high economic value, and a wide market. Compared to traditional livestock farming, the economic efficiency is much higher and suitable for the conditions of the commune. In the future, the commune will continue to encourage people to expand the model, coordinate with specialized agencies to organize training on livestock farming techniques for people, and at the same time, create conditions and support people who need to borrow capital from policy banks to expand livestock farming."

Raising bamboo rats is a new model, and currently, Nhat Hoa commune is one of the communes with many households implementing this farming model. With simple breeding techniques, low risk, and stable output, bamboo rat farming has been yielding clear economic benefits. From the pioneering steps of 1-2 households, bamboo rat farming has now been widely developed by people in the commune, opening up a new direction for economic development.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/trien-vong-kinh-te-tu-mo-hinh-nuoi-dui-5061398.html