1. BETTER FARMING PRACTICES

Higher profitability results mainly from an increased productivity per animal. The project’s starting point is “Happy cows give more milk”. Every farmer should make his cows happy by providing everything the cows needs to be happy, especially a lot of good feed and water, a comfortable environment and good care.

All the technical interventions are based on international best practices but are adapted to the local situation.

     - Silage bags: A simple but very efficient way to store forage overproduction from the summer to be used in the winter, when there is a shortage of forage.

Making salige using nilon bag

     - Sprinkler irrigation for forage production: Even in the season will more rainfall such system provides the essential water in a very efficient way. A major extra benefit of such system is that you can use it to provide liquid fertilizer, like biogas effluent, for the grass.

Irrigation system for high quality grass field

     - Heat stress system: In this direct cooling system, water is sprinkled on the cow’s back for about 15 to 25 seconds every 5 to 10 minutes. Fans create air circulation, which help the water to evaporate from the skin, extracting heat from the body. Actually, we help the cows to sweat.

Improving barn combined with heat strees system

     - Good drinking systems: Milk contains almost 90% water. A lack of water will directly result in a decreased milk production. A good system makes sure that cows always have access to water.

Fresh water is recommened to be available all the time

2. FARMER AND TECHNICANT IMPROVED THEIR SKILLS

Good feeding management and sound reproductive management go hand in hand and are both of vital importance for a dairy business. Farmers, veterinarians, animal health workers and inseminators all had opportunities to join hands - on interactive training programs. The slogan in all our trainings are the wise words of Confusius:

                         What I hear, I forget
                         What I see, I remember
                         What I do, I understand

Improving skills by practical trainings

3. CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

An aspect of dairy farming that is getting more and more attention is the pollution of the environment. Also here, the project aimed at creating opportunities out of challenges by promoting environmentally friendly practices that are also economically interesting! Our best example is the green cycle: Animal manure is used to produce energy (biogas) and the biogas effluent is sprinkled on the grass as organic fertilizer, which results in high grass production.

Composit box

4. FAIR PRICE

Before the project’s intervention, all farmers delivering their milk to one cooling center would receive the same price for their milk. So none of the farmers was motivated to produce milk of higher quality. The project collaborated with processing companies to make sure that the milk of every single farmer is tested and that each farmer is paid for the quality he or she delivers.

5. PROMOTING CROSS BREEDING

To increase the herd, the project promoted good calf rearing practices and insemination of more local Lai Sind cows with dairy semen to produce a first generation dairy cow, often called F1.

6. TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DAIRY DEVELOPMENT: DAIRY VIETNAM

The Vietnamese dairy industry is affected by national and international issues, showing the need for national coordination and international linkages. The project initiated the creation of a new organisation: Dairy Vietnam. This organisation brings all public and private dairy stakeholders around the table to discuss topics such as milk quality control, the role of the public and the private sector, the needs for sustainable dairy production etc.

Dairy Vietnam - A linkage between all dairy stakeholders

The majority of the operational funds for Dairy Vietnam come from the project, but agreements with private sector companies have been signed to secure funding after the project ends.

                              KEY RESULTS OF THE PROJECT

     - Number of dairy cattle in the project area increased with 54%

     - Average daily production per cow increased with 20 to 30%

     - Total milk production in the project area increased with 42%

     - Milk price increased with more than 100%

     - Average Family Income (Family’s salary + Profit) is about 15.7 Million VND (600 Euro) per milking cow per year.

     - The project changed to mind of farmers about efficient dairy cow feeding to increase production and decrease production costs.

     - Many farmers apply the project’s innovations:

                   90% uses silage bags.
                   50% has set up a heat stress system.
                   41% implements grass field sprinkler irrigation.

     - More 1100 Lai Sind cows were successfully inseminated.

     - Farmers have access to a fair and transparent milk payment system, now fully operated by the processing company.

     - Overall quality of the milk increased significantly.

     - Dairy Vietnam is the leading national dairy organisation.

Download the project file here >>

For futher information please contact:

Room F11, Coco village (Flower village)

14 Thuy Khue, Ha Noi, Vietnam

Tel: + 84 4 7347248

Fax: + 84 4 7344279

Email: vbdairyproject@fpt.vn