The sources of cattle feed will improve with the application of newtechnology in processing and preserving crop residues in Hanoi'sdistricts.
Two techniques of processing and preservingfresh straw for cattle have been tested at MTV Cattle Breed Co. Ltdsince last October and have brought high profits for farmers in Gia Lamand Dong Anh districts, besides reducing environment pollution.
Millionsof tonnes of straw are available after crop harvests, which is anabundant source of feed for ruminants in Vietnam, especially during thedry season.
Several methods have been proposed forimproving the nutritive value of rice straw, usually by spraying urea onthe straw in a tank and then making soft cakes or hard blocks of straw.After about two to three weeks, the cakes can be fed to animals and bepreserved for months.
After trials, the company prepared some techniques for cattle breeders. It has had great economic effect.
"Previously,after harvest, farmers often burned the straw in the field. But now itis sold to the company for making animal feed, which farmers canpreserve for months," DinhThiHoai Thu, a dairy farmer in Phu DongCommune, said.
Statistics of Gia Lam District's economicdepartment show the district has about 9,000 cows. Cattle breeding isbecoming the main income provider for many farmers in the region.
Freshstraw is harvested from about 40 percent of the rice cultivation areain Gia Lam district and sold to the company. Environment pollution hasalso reduced significantly, as the farmers are not burning the strawafter harvest.
During the trial period, the companypurchased and preserved 1,200 tonnes of fresh straw. Thanks to the newtechnique, the protein level in the straw is higher than innon-processed straw.
Hanoi now has more than 140,000buffaloes and cows, more than 15,000 of which are dairy cattle.Consequently, the demand for animal feed is very large, especially inwinter. Meanwhile, in many areas, farmers still lack feed sources due tolimited grassland areas.
The development of this technique to process and preserve feed for cattle is very important to farmers.
NguyenVan Tuan, deputy head of the economic department of Gia Lam District,has suggested the city should direct the department of agriculture andrural development and related agencies to expand this processing modelamong locals, particularly in specialised cattle-breeding andrice-growing areas.
Gia Lam District alone has 5,500ha ofrice fields and the annual harvest produces around 30,000 tonnes ofstraw. "Just 1ha of rice field will produce six to seven tonnes ofstraw, and it will be enough to feed a beef cow for one year," Tuansaid.
Vu Van Hai, deputy director of the MTV Cattle BreedCo. Ltd, said the application of this new technology would help preservefresh straw, without the development of mould and loss of organicmatter, and would increase its digestibility and allow cows to eat more.Therefore, this new model can be applied by farmers and thecattle-breeding farms across the country. Cattle productivity will alsoimprove to meet the daily demand for meat and dairy products.-VNA
Two techniques of processing and preservingfresh straw for cattle have been tested at MTV Cattle Breed Co. Ltdsince last October and have brought high profits for farmers in Gia Lamand Dong Anh districts, besides reducing environment pollution.
Millionsof tonnes of straw are available after crop harvests, which is anabundant source of feed for ruminants in Vietnam, especially during thedry season.
Several methods have been proposed forimproving the nutritive value of rice straw, usually by spraying urea onthe straw in a tank and then making soft cakes or hard blocks of straw.After about two to three weeks, the cakes can be fed to animals and bepreserved for months.
After trials, the company prepared some techniques for cattle breeders. It has had great economic effect.
"Previously,after harvest, farmers often burned the straw in the field. But now itis sold to the company for making animal feed, which farmers canpreserve for months," DinhThiHoai Thu, a dairy farmer in Phu DongCommune, said.
Statistics of Gia Lam District's economicdepartment show the district has about 9,000 cows. Cattle breeding isbecoming the main income provider for many farmers in the region.
Freshstraw is harvested from about 40 percent of the rice cultivation areain Gia Lam district and sold to the company. Environment pollution hasalso reduced significantly, as the farmers are not burning the strawafter harvest.
During the trial period, the companypurchased and preserved 1,200 tonnes of fresh straw. Thanks to the newtechnique, the protein level in the straw is higher than innon-processed straw.
Hanoi now has more than 140,000buffaloes and cows, more than 15,000 of which are dairy cattle.Consequently, the demand for animal feed is very large, especially inwinter. Meanwhile, in many areas, farmers still lack feed sources due tolimited grassland areas.
The development of this technique to process and preserve feed for cattle is very important to farmers.
NguyenVan Tuan, deputy head of the economic department of Gia Lam District,has suggested the city should direct the department of agriculture andrural development and related agencies to expand this processing modelamong locals, particularly in specialised cattle-breeding andrice-growing areas.
Gia Lam District alone has 5,500ha ofrice fields and the annual harvest produces around 30,000 tonnes ofstraw. "Just 1ha of rice field will produce six to seven tonnes ofstraw, and it will be enough to feed a beef cow for one year," Tuansaid.
Vu Van Hai, deputy director of the MTV Cattle BreedCo. Ltd, said the application of this new technology would help preservefresh straw, without the development of mould and loss of organicmatter, and would increase its digestibility and allow cows to eat more.Therefore, this new model can be applied by farmers and thecattle-breeding farms across the country. Cattle productivity will alsoimprove to meet the daily demand for meat and dairy products.-VNA
