After a period of time, the price of meat goats and breeding goats dropped sharply, causing farmers to operate moderately because they were worried about losses. Currently, goat meat prices have increased slightly again, so livestock farmers are excited and continue to restock their herds.
The selling price of goats in Tien Giang is currently increasing again, raising households in the eastern coastal districts of Tien Giang province are starting to re-herd.
Tien Giang province has a total herd of about 160 000 goats, concentrated in coastal districts and towns such as Go Cong Dong district, Go Cong Tay district, Tan Phu Dong district, Go Cong city, etc., of which the largest number is in Go Cong district. Dong has a total herd of nearly 60 000 animals.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Go Cong Dong district, the district’s goat herd is concentrated in coastal communes such as Tan Thanh, Kieng Phuoc, Phuoc Trung, etc.
During the period before the Lunar New Year, the price of breeding goats and meat goats decreased sharply while production costs increased and people’s profits were low, so people limited re-herding.
Currently, the price of live goat meat has increased again, so farmers are excited and continue to restock their herds.
The selling price of goat meat currently ranges from 100 000-150 000 VND/kg, an increase of over 20 000 VND/kg compared to the same period last year. Farmers will earn a profit of 700 000-800 000 VND/goat after 3 months of raising.
Mr. Doan Van Hong, in Tang Hoa commune, Go Cong Dong district, boldly changed from precarious rice farming to establishing a goat farm to supply goat meat and breed goats to the market.
Currently, his goat farm is the largest in Go Cong Dong district with a total herd of over 100 breeding and meat goats, earning over 200 million VND each year.
He is currently a member of the commercial hybrid goat breeding cooperative group in Tang Hoa commune, helping goat raising households, linking production, and developing goat herds in the direction of modern and clean farming to meet consumer needs.
A biosafe goat farm, adapting to climate change in Tien Giang. (Photo: Huu Chi/TTXVN)
Mr. Hong said goat farmers do not have to work hard to care for them like other livestock because feed is easy to find such as leaves, grass, etc.
Raised goats take about 3-4 months to mature. Female goats give birth 1-2 times a year, each time 2-3 babies with a survival rate of nearly 100%. Adult goats weigh about 30kg and sell for 100 000-150 000 VND/kg or more.
Mr. Doan Van Hong’s goat meat farm, Tang Hoa commune, Go Cong Dong district, earns hundreds of millions of dong/year. (Photo: Huu Chi/TTXVN)
According to Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Go Cong Dong district, Tien Giang province Le Hong Tam, the goat farming model to cope with climate change has brought practical results to local people.
The goat farming model helps people increase their income, contributing to creating jobs for people in coastal communes and stabilizing their lives.
The District People’s Committee continues to direct functional agencies to increase technology transfer, guide farmers to build barns, select good, quality breeds, replicate advanced farming models, focusing on safe goat farming. All biology adapts to climate change, achieves high economic efficiency, and protects the environment.
In order to support the effective development of goat herds in difficult areas of the coastal districts of Go Cong, recently, the Provincial Center for Agricultural Extension and Agricultural Services (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tien Giang province) has implemented many valuable scientific research projects with highly effective applicability locally in the field of goat farming.
Specifically, the model “Testing the local goat breed improvement model; project “Application of local goat breed improvement model” in Go Cong Dong district; project “Artificial insemination on goats”, etc. in districts with developed goat farming.
In addition, we also apply and transfer the model of raising goats on biological bedding, helping to solve the problem of environmental pollution and protect health, etc.
In order to protect the goat herd against the pressure of foot-and-mouth disease, the Department of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine of Tien Giang province has also implemented the decision of the Provincial People’s Committee on free vaccination of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine for goats.
Veterinary staff guide farmers on measures to prevent diseases for goats such as building barns according to proper techniques, cleaning and disinfecting barns, choosing high-quality breeds, and processing agricultural by products as feed.
Huu Chi
VNA/Vietnam+