With the will and determination to get rich, the couple Son Thi Ne, residing in Tra Lay 2 hamlet, Thuan Hung commune, My Tu district, Soc Trang province, spent effort to learn and accumulate knowledge through information channels about the model of raising sika deer for reproduction and velvet collection.

Boldly raise new pets that are wild animals

After researching, Mrs. Ne and her husband realized that this model has a lot of economic potential, and is completely suitable for their family's conditions.

Thinking is doing, two years ago, Mrs. Ne and her husband did not hesitate to spend money to invest in buying 14 sika deer (including 2 male deer) from Tien Giang province to raise.

According to Ms. Ne, the model of raising sika deer is not too difficult to implement, because they are easy to care for, the cost of investing in food is not high because the deer only eat grass, bananas, or jackfruit... "Food for this species is available locally, just feed the deer 3 times a day," Ms. Ne said, adding that the barn is only cleaned once in a while.

After two years of raising and caring for her family's sika deer, Ms. Ne's family's herd has developed very well. The two male deer have started to produce antlers, and the female deer have also reproduced. "Farmers raising sika deer are committed to having their products sold, so they are somewhat reassured. The male deer producing antlers are purchased for around 15 million VND/kg, while the female deer are sold for a high price," Ms. Ne said.

Soc Trang province is considered a locality that boldly promotes the transformation of crop and livestock structure to develop the agricultural economy. In particular, with this model of breeding spotted deer being implemented by the agricultural sector, with the expectation that this new type of livestock will continue to have high economic value.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of My Tu district has also done many practical things to help farmers have more information about this economic model, such as organizing a workshop on the deer breeding model, or organizing a field trip for farmers to visit Ms. Son Thi Ne's family to gain experience for implementation.

Soc Trang province boldly promotes the transformation of crop and livestock structure to develop agricultural economy. In particular, with the model of breeding spotted deer and raising specialty animals being implemented by the agricultural sector, with the expectation that this new type of livestock will continue to bring high economic value. Photo: Hong Thach

Head of the My Tu District Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station, Pham Minh Tu, said that recently, the leaders of My Tu District have paid great attention to the restructuring of the agricultural sector. The particular issue is how to diversify crops and livestock for economic efficiency on the same area to help people get rich.

Regarding the model of breeding sika deer, Mr. Tu said that this is a wild animal but has been domesticated, the important thing is that this animal is suitable for the local soil conditions. They not only have high economic value but also have a commitment from the breeding unit to consume the product, while sika deer are also very easy to care for.

"This type of animal rarely gets sick, does not require much time to care for and raise, but the economic value is relatively high. Farmers only need to raise it for 2 years to be able to harvest deer antlers 3 times a year," said Mr. Tu, adding that up to now, the locality has 3 models of raising spotted deer.

The local agricultural sector said that a model of raising 4 spotted deer is supported by the state with 50% of the cost of breeding stock. In addition, when people develop their herds, the agricultural sector will monitor and provide technical support to help farmers achieve the highest economic efficiency. At the same time, through this, the locality will evaluate the results to replicate the model in the future.