Animal rearing has been the second trade after rice farming of a great many households for generations in Nam Sach district, Hai Duong province. Socio-economic development of the country in the last few years has enabled animal breeding in the area to develop in both quality and quantity to meet the market demand. However, breeding pigs is a very competitive business and it is very difficult to make a profit. Miscalculation or misjudgment of the market will lead to losses. Each farming household must calculate their input cost to minimise spending, yet at the same time, they need to maintain and improve quality to compete in the market. The district receives assistance from the Vietnam Agriculture Technology Institute through the Red River development programme in co-operation with France to provide pig breeding methods and to expand the farming scale. The programme helps link up several households for quality pig breeding and the model was proven successful in Hop Tien, Nam Hung and Nam Tan groups.
These farming groups were formed with the assistance of the local authority and used a simple accounting system to suit their need by keeping records and operating under the leadership of the head of the group. After a short trial time, the result was encouraging with increase in sales and profit. Yet there were still new problems. These groups were unable to get loan from banks for expanding their production as they had no legal status to help their members to get loans and sign contracts with buyers. The establishment of a co-operative was the answer to the problem. The Nam Sach Pig Breeding Co-operative was formed in September 2002 by joining three groups of Hop Tien, Nam Hung and Nam Tan, with the participation of 20 farming households. A management board was set up with specified role and responsibility. Mr Nguyen Hoai Phong, head of the management board of the co-operative told us that profits were shared according to the contribution of each household and the co-operative helps each farming household to do business. The new model helps reduce production costs and improve product quality and sales. The successful model of the co-operative was studied by other co-operatives from Hanoi and Haiphong. The co-operative is now working on a project to build a brand for its product, the "Laughing Pig."
Many households in the province are studying and applying the successful model of Nam Sach including 250 households in Chi Linh and Nam Sach districts, 147 households in Thanh Ha, Hai Duong town. The programme will also pay attention to processing co-preparative and trademark building works.
Farmers are now able to get more profit and to help other farmers in the work when they join the co-operative, reducing risks and increasing productivity. Mr Bui Duy Dong, a farmer in Nam Tan village said his family was richer with annual profit of VND 20 million coming from breeding pigs, accounting for more than 80% of the household's income. Other families in the village joining co-operative were reported to have increased profits as well.
The successful model of Nam Sach indicates a great untapped potential among the people nationwide in animal rearing and correct utilisation of internal strength of each household through their joining the co-operative.