Dairy and Meat Goat Production

1. Dairy and Meat Goat Production VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

2. Who we are • Goat and Rabbit Research Centre in Vietnam (VGRRC) • located in Ha Tay Province • founded in 1978 • 70 scientific and extension staff • 64,9 ha • 50 ha for trials fodder production, trial fields intercropping, forest and fish ponds • VGRRC demonstrates the advantages of integrated farming on site VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

3. Ha Tay Province • in northern Vietnam • 2.193 km² • 14 Districts • Ba Vi National park 7000 ha • Population: 2.386.770 • Kinh • Muong & Dao (ethnic Minorities) • Main sources of income: • Agriculture, Small Business, Tourism • Average per capita income per annum: • 70 bis 120 US$ Ha Tay Province Hanoi VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

4. Ha Tay ProvinceSon Tay and Ba Vi district Son Tay & Ba Vi VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

5. What we do: Research Extension Training • Integrated Farming Systems • Improving small animal husbandry techniques • Breeding programme • Fodder production VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

6. Results achieved so far are based on simple low-cost technologies and on training. The main beneficiaries are small-scale women farmers who not only carry out much of the work at farm level but who were and continue to be the processors and marketers of their high quality products. Goat husbandry is responding rapidly to market demands and opportunities in the form of milk, milk products and meat. This approach enabled the provision of a high rate of return to farmers and has resulted in the successful and sustainable operation of the farms. This approach also attracted significant attention from other donors. Stressing the role of tree foliage as the preferred feed for goats acts as a stimulus to reforestation with multipurpose trees and shrubs, with obvious benefits to the environment. VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

7. Commodity prices 2002 Over the years, prices for goat and rabbit meat as well as goat milk have risen steadily. Goat and rabbit production offer high rates of returns for farmers. VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

8. Preserving the national gene pool: Cross breeding: Bach Thao and Bach Thao Goat indigenous to Vietnam hardy, proliferous Saanen: Milk Alpine Jamnapari Meat & Milk Barbari Texas Boer Meat Co Goat Breeding programme VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

9. Model farm: Goat Production • Meat goats in semi confinement on a model farm • in Minh Quang village, Ba Vi district VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

10. Goat keeping • Goats are kept in • semi-confinement: • Stable plus courtyard • no free grazing • is permitted, thus reducing the risk of parasitic infections and protecting the environment from damages through uncontrolled browsing Ideally, a tree is providing shade for the animals, while they roam in the courtyard VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

11. Courtyard • Feeding mangers and drinkers are placed within at the courtyard • The ground is regularly treated with lime to kill parasites • Mating takes place here, when the females are in heat The drinkers are hard plastic containers, locally available, easy to refill and clean. In this farm, the mangers are made from bamboo. VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

12. Housing • Various materials and designs exist • Here the stables are constructed within an old house • The concrete made slope under the stable facilitates the collection of feces for further use within the farm VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

13. Housing • Many farmers use bamboo, wood and rice straw to build the stables • Plastic sheets are used to cover the walls and protect animals from wind and rain during the winter and the rainy season VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

14. On-farm production of feedstuff • All FEEDSTUFF NEEDED FOR A BALANCED RATION IS PRODUCED ON THE FARM • Shrubs and trees: • Leucaena, Giganthea, Fleminigia, Jackfruit, etc. • Grasses: • mainly Pennisetum and Guinea grass • Crops: • Sugar cane and cassava leaves Pennisetum Purpureum VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

15. Fighting Erosion Fodder plants such as Flemingia congesta syn. macrophylla and Pennisetum ssp. are planted on deforested slopes, field edges and along contour lines. • The cultivation of appropriate fodder plants (Leguminosae ssp. in symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria) improves the soil-quality, reducing the need for additional fertilizer. Fodder crops (Pennisetum purpureum) are planted at fields edges and minimize erosion through run off VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

16. Animal feedstuff • This simple cutter for biomass at a price of 300.000 VN Dong makes life easier for the farmer • Cutting through young branches easily, it can cut through all on farm produced animal feedstuffs and reduces the workload of the farmer considerably VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

17. Fodder conservation • Here cassava leaves have been cut and dry in the sun • They will be stored later and contribute to a balanced ration during the dry season • Simple low-cost technology reduces the work load of farmers • Biomass can dry evenly, thus, a higher quality is achieved; storage and feeding is made easier VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

18. Extension Regular extension visits are made VGRRC provides assistance and advise VGRRC assists farmers in marketing milk and meat VGRRC offers a buck exchange programme VGRRC has a veterinary laboratory, offering farmers diagnostic facilities The extension team with a successful goat farmer inspecting goat kids VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

19. Training courses for subsistence farmers in their villages • VGRRC offers training courses for subsistence farmers • at VGRRC • at their villages • lectures are given on all aspects of goat husbandry, including disease prevention through management and disease control strategies Participants of a training course in Van Hoa, November 2002 VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo

20. You can find us in the WWW: For example at: http://www.fao.org/ag/aga/agap/lps/dairy/fdp/vietnam.htm http://www.kehlbach.de/ or contact by e-mail: binhbavi@netnam.vn by Telephone: 0084 (0) 34 838 341 via Fax: 0084 (0) 34 838 889 VGRRC: Dairy and meat goat production by Susanne Hugo