LANG SON – Mr. Do Hoang Minh, 67 years old, Bac Son district built a model of raising deer for antlers to earn hundreds of millions of dong each year.
Mr. Minh’s family is currently one of the typical economic farming households in the Bac Son district. Originally from Ha Tay (formerly Ha Tay), in 1974 he left his hometown and went to Nhat Hoa commune to start a business and build a family. The fate that brought him to deer farming was coincidentally when he went to learn about the economics of livestock farms in Ha Tinh.
Realizing that Bac Son district had a fresh climate and lush vegetation, he tried farming it. In 2013, he used 45 million VND in savings and borrowed more to buy 3 breeding deer. After a year, he cut more than 2 kg of velvet, earning 40 million VND and began expanding the farm.
Mr. Minh said that he has always been facilitated by the Commune Farmers’ Association to participate in training classes on deer raising and care techniques. He also actively seeks out more knowledge through books, newspapers, the Internet, from previous farmers and draws from his own experience.
When buying deer, he chooses animals that are agile, bright-eyed, and tall. Deer are animals accustomed to living in the wild, so when kept in captivity, they must comply with technical and hygienic requirements to ensure clean eating, clean drinking, and clean living. Every day, it is necessary to check the health status of the deer herd once or twice to promptly detect any animals showing signs of loss of appetite or illness for timely treatment. Deer’s food is easy to find, mainly grass, leaves, banana stems… “For deer that are in the reproductive and antler growing period, it is necessary to supplement food rich in starch and fresh fruits and vegetables.” , Mr. Minh said.
Thanks to mastering techniques, Mr. Minh’s family’s herd of 10 deer has developed well. According to Mr. Minh, when he is 2 years old, male deer begin to give antlers. If well cared for and supplemented with enough starch, they will give pairs of antlers weighing 0.5-1 kg per pair, with high economic value. In particular, there are deer with antlers weighing up to 1.5 kg. If the deer is healthy and well cared for, it can harvest antlers twice a year. From 2018 until now, with an average selling price of 2 million VND per tael of velvet, Mr. Minh’s family has a stable income of more than 150 million VND a year after deducting expenses.
Not only raising deer, Mr. Minh also takes advantage of large garden land near the forest to raise honey bees. Before that, he only raised a few colonies, then he realized that the natural conditions were suitable for raising bees and gradually increased the number of bee colonies each year.
According to his experience, increasing the colony is very important. In addition to the requirement of airiness and coolness, if the colony is not adjusted or not paid attention to the quality of the colony, the bees will return to the forest. Therefore, every year during the flowering season, he focuses on creating queen bees, then divides the colony. Besides, he also spent time observing and cleaning regularly, not letting ants, cockroaches and other bees climb into the box. Currently, his family has 15 bee colonies, harvesting over 150 liters of honey a year. With a market price of 350,000 – 400,000 VND per liter, it gives a revenue of 50 million VND a year.
Mr. Duong Thoi Sau, Chairman of Nhat Hoa Commune Farmers’ Association, appreciated Mr. Minh’s diligence, creativity and initiative in finding new directions for his farming model. “Mr. Minh is always enthusiastic to help and guide other members to study according to the model,” Mr. Sau said.
Mr. Minh’s model of raising deer for antlers has been replicated, currently the whole commune has 13 households raising a total of 61 deer, contributing to improving the income of many local farming households.
($1=24,000 VND)
Photo,Video: Internet (Vinlove.net)