IASVN granted VND300 millions to replicate sustainable dairy cow production model to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
HCMC - The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) of Ho Chi Minh City promulgated Decision No. 529/QD-SKHCN dated 29 June 2017 approving a State budget support of VND 300,000,000, an equivalent to US$13,300, to the Institute of Animal Science in Southern Vietnam (IASVN) to develop a sustainable dairy cow production model in Cu Chi District in the suburb HCMC.
Under this State grant, IASVN will set up 3 demonstration models on sustainable dairy cow production in Cu Chi District and coaching the farmers, in efforts to enhance the economic benefits and reduce the environmental impacts from the activity.
Cu Chi District is currently the country’s largest dairy cow hub, with total cow heads of 60,000, tendered by about 10,000 small households.
Le Ba Chung, Team Leader from IASVN, said it would introduce to apply advanced techniques such as urea treated rice straws, biogas system, manure fermentation to reduce the environment pollutions while improving the milk yielding and incomes via improved nutrition, reproductive health. The farmers will have chance to witness the practical models and attend training sessions. It will also help the dairy farmers to strengthen the contract-farming relationship with Vinamilk, the country’s largest dairy processing corporation.
This sustainable model, which was first developed and successfully implemented by the same institution in Soc Trang province under a ADB TA-8163 Letter of Agreement (LOA) to support the core agriculture in the Mekong River Delta during the first phase from 2015 to 2016. ADB is currently supporting IASVN to further deepen the sustainability of the model in the aspects of environment protection, improved nutrition health and improved the market access in the value chain with the target of bringing beneficiary to 140 women of ethnic minority in My Tu and My Xuyen Districts of Soc Trang province.
The recognition and multiplication of the model in Soc Trang to other provinces recognized the right way of intervention and support that ADB and MARD have implemented in the country so far./.