According to the agriculture encourage center, the HCMC People’s Committee issued a plan to develop beef for the period 2016 – 2020 with the vision to 2030. However, just a few breeders feed beef as pilot scheme though beef production generate profit for them.
Deputy Head of the center Nguyen Thi Lieu Kieu said that Vietnam has bought 900,000 tons of frozen cattle meat from India in 2017 excluding cow and ox from Australia.
In 2017, Vietnamese people had around 260,000 tons, increasing 4 – 5 percent year on year. HCMC has raised more than 58,200 beef , a rise of 2.8 percent compared to the same period last year.
As per estimation, city dwellers consume 760 beef a day yet there has been a shortage in supply.
With the target to create crossbred cow suitable with farming condition in HCMC, the center decided to choose hi-yield cows such as BBB, Red Angus, Drought Master to breed with local to generate high profit for farmers.
Moreover, the center will provide breeding technologies to farmers for sustainable beef husbandry.
Farmer Dang Anh Duc in Cu Chi District said for past years, milk cow produce low yield with 10 kilogram of milk a cow daily; so farmers’ income is very low. After he was encouraged and consulted by the center, he was bold to turn to new cross bred beef.
The center for cattle development and research said that because there has been an increase in the number of cattle for years pasture just meet 20-30 percent of demand.
Ms. Lieu Kieu said beef can eat additional hay, corn, and sugar-cane dregs.
The branch office of agriculture development said that beef farmers are eligible for loan with low interest rate.
The beef raising plan in HCMC includes two phases. The first phase will select suitable beef for the city. In 2020, 30,000 beef cattle will be raised and supply 10,000 fresh meat for the market and 7,000 high yield cow will be bred in the phase. In the second phase, around 40,000 high yield cows are raised.
The plan targets to supply 15,000 tons of beef for the market and 10,000 breeding cows to satisfy farmers’ demand while it will increase more by 2030.
Agriculture related agencies will help to link production and enterprises to build up brand name of new beef.
