NINH THUẬN — Ninh Thuận, the largest goat breeding locality in Việt Nam, is expanding its herds as they offer farmers high incomes and it has natural advantages in raising the animals.

Ngô Tý, who breeds goats in Thuận Nam District’s Phước Dinh Commune, said he used to farm cows and sheep but finally decided to switch to goats because this requires little investment and the animals require less care and get few diseases.

Tý let his goats graze on a hill near home, releasing them in the morning and herding them back home in the late afternoon.

In the beginning he had 10 goats and the number had increased to 60 now, he said.

Earlier this month he sold five goats for meat and earned nearly VNĐ20 million (US$860), he said.

Traders buy goats at VNĐ100,000-130,000 (US$4-6) a kilogramme for meat and VNĐ140,000-160,000 ($6-7) for breeding purposes.

Females can give birth twice a year, each time delivering two or three kids. Kids reach a weight of 25-30kg in six to eight months and can then be sold, according to farmers.

Many farmers also raise goats exclusively in sheds without letting them out to graze, and this method reduces the period of raising them for meat to between four and six months.

The south-central province has 138,000 head of goats, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Its dry and hot weather is suitable for raising bovids, especially goats.

They are mostly allowed to graze naturally on hills and pastures.

Goats are one of the province’s 12 ‘specific products’.

The National Office of Intellectual Property granted a trademark for Ninh Thuận goats in 2017.

In recent years provincial authorities have been teaching farmers effective goat breeding models.

In Bác Ái District’s Phước Trung Commune, for instance, the commune farmers association has set up a group with 12 members who raise females for producing kids.

The association helps the members by teaching them breeding techniques and providing market information.

Đạo Văn Nhớ, head of the group, said members have an interest in breeding goats and so exchange experiences and help each other with breeding techniques and disease prevention efforts.

“So the group is very efficient.”

The members have 159 kids.

To improve the quality of goats, province authorities have tightened food safety management and use electronic stamps to trace the origin of goat meat.

The province will continue to help farmers expand efficient goat farming models and teach them breeding techniques, according to the department. — VNS