1 Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development Project Progress Report SIX-MONTHLY REPORT (Jan. to June 2008) 1 1. Institute Information Project Name Blueprint Pig Production Development in Small Households In Central Region, Vietnam (Sub-component implemented in Quang Tri provinces) Vietnamese Institution National Institute of Animal Husbandry Vietnamese Project Team Leader Dr. Ta Thi Bich Duyen Australian Organisation Dr. Darren Trott Australian Personnel Dr. Colin Cargill Date commenced Completion date (original) Completion date (revised) Reporting period Jan. to June 2008 Contact Officer(s) In Australia: Team Leader Name: Dr. Darren Trott Telephone: Position: Fax: Organisation Email: In Australia: Administrative contact Name: Dr. Colin Cargill Telephone: Position: Fax: Organisation Email: In Vietnam Name: Dr. Ta Thi Bich Duyen Telephone: 84 4 22411195 Position: Leader Fax: 84 4 3 8389775 Organisation National Institute of Animal Husbandry Email: Ta_bichduyen@yahoo.com 2 1. Results obtained in 2007 1.1. Investigation and interview: 270 households were investigated and interviewed. After analysing the investigated data, 30 households in Hai Thuong and Hai Phu communes, Hai Lang district were selected to participate in the project. Each selected household has about from 3 to 15 Mong Cai sows. All selected households like to raise pigs, learn and share technical knowledge in pig production. 1.2. Training: Two training courses on raising Mong Cai (MC) sows were conducted in March and June, 2007 in pilot province with 30 selected farmers. Three trainers are researchers of National Institute of Animal Husbandry. They provided trainees with background knowledge and skill in sow production. Main contents of a training course consisted of 3 parts: - Raising techniques (Dr. Duyen) - Pig house design (Mr. Bien) - Veterinary: disease prevention and treatment (Dr. Tuyên) Training method: using participatory training approaches: get leaner-centered, raise questions cause the brainstorming to the trainees and group discussion 1.3. Consulting and supporting for pig house design and building at households. The researchers of NIAH along with the farmers to evaluate current status of each pig shed. Since then the researchers consult the farmers to repair, upgrade or build new pig premise according to the standard: the lighting, the ventilation, size and environmental sanitation. Pig sheds in each farmer household are designed 3 pen types for lactating sow, pregnant sow or farrowing sow and fattening pig. Each pig pen type has different size. The number of pig pen in each selected farmer household depend on number of sows, fattening pigs that farmers intend to raise. 1.4. Consulting and supporting for Mong Cai gilt. Based on requirement of selected farmer households and technical staffs in the Livestock Division, Department of Agriculture and rural Development, Mong Cai herds in Quang Tri province should be improved by importing Mong Cai gilt from Mong Cai’s hometown in Northern parts of Vietnam. The researchers of NIAH signed a contract with Mong Cai breeding Cooperative in Tang Tien district, Bac giang province in May 2007 to buy Mong Cai gilts with high quality. Due to foot and mouth disease occurred in Quang Tri province from June to September, the planning to buy Mong Cai gilts in 2007 delayed until the earlier of 2008. 2. Work content conducted during the first 6 months of the year 2008 2.1. Consulting and supporting creep boxes for piglet. 3 In January, 30 creep boxes were delivered to 30 selected farmer households to warm up piglets. Creep boxes were provided for farmer households at the coldest time of the year, so they have positive effects on piglets. After suckling, piglets lied on inside creep box; therefore they were not affected by environmental temperature, leading to decrease diarrhea and piglet abortion. Some farmers who have more than one piglet litter made creep boxes by themselves followwing the creep box design of the project. 2.2. Consulting and supporting for shed design and build at farmer households. For up to now, 30 households participating in the project (12 households in Hai Phu commune and 18 households in Hai Thuong commune) were consulted and supported fund to repair, upgrade or build new pig houses in order to meet certain requirements regarding the lighting, the ventilation, the size of pig houses and environmental sanitation. Currently, 6 households have built new pig sheds by the shed design of the project officers (please see attached file: Pig house design in QT). That is households follow as: - Phan Dinh Trang, Thuong Xa village, Hai Thuong commune - Phan Dinh Quy, Thuong Xa village, Hai Thuong commune - Le Thi Hoa, Thuong Xa village, Hai Thuong commune - Tran Luong Cuong, Thuong Xa village, Hai Thuong commune - Dao Dan, Dai An Khe village, Hai Thuong commune - Le Dinh Danh, Phu Hung village, Hai Phu commune - Nguyen The, Phu Hung village, Hai Phu commune 2.3. Consulting and supporting for buying Mong Cai gilts In March 2008, 50 Mong Cai gilts were selected at Mong Cai breeding Cooperative in Tang Tien district, Bac Giang province. All Mong Cai gilts were vaccinated not only for the popular diseases stipulated by the law of Animal Health in Vietnam, but also for the Foot and Mouth disease (type O2), PRRS disease with 20 days saved in Bac Giang province. They were then transferred to Quang Tri province and raised in 20 days before distributing to selected households on 1 st May 2008. The total costs incurred during 20 days saved in Bac Giang province to wait for vaccination effects and 20 day - raising in Quang Tri before distributing to selected households are AU$ 6080.5.(see attached file: Costs of maintain selected MC pigs). Unfortunately, in 50 Mong Cai pigs bought in April 2008 there were four pigs was died and culled up to now: a pig died due to nerve disease (go round, effervescent edges then died) and a pig sick so blood outside the skin. 2 sows have been coughed for long time, so they would be culled. Currently, 34 of total Mong Cai gilts that were moved to Qung Tri in May 2008 have been mated the first litter and they have gotten pregnancy. Of which, four pigs gave the first litter with NBA is 8 piglets/litter and some other Mong Cai gilts have prepared to give birth. Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) occurred in the last 6 months in 2007 in Quang Tri province have caused some difficulties following: 4 + Transferring pigs to Quang Tri was postponed, causing slow project progress + After ending FMD, the price of Mong Cai gilts increased while budget for purchases have been approved from the beginning of the year. Therefore, the number of pigs bought reduced from100 (under the original plan) to 68 and was divided into 2 purchasing batches because there was not enough Mong Cai gilts at the same time. + The additional costs due to the raising waiting time for the vaccine effect before distributing Mong Cai gilts to farmers After the pigs were moved into and for households more than 1 month, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) has been occurred all over the Hai Lang district, of which Phu Hai and Hai Thuong communes (the project implementation pilots) were the most serious damage communes (Please see attched pictures). The fact is that some selected households had many pigs died or all pigs died due to PRRS, exception of Mong Cai gilts that supported by the project. This can be explained that Mong Cai gilts were vaccinated all diseases. 2.4. Consulting and supporting for the caring and nursing of Mong Cai pigs NIAH researchers changed over to households to check the care and feeding management of sows and advised to farmers about the caring and nursing, sheds, environmental improving, etc. Moreover, they also consulted to farmers to formulate feeding ration in order to meet nutritional requirements based on available local feed resources such as rice, maize, rice bran, cassava meal, fish meal, sweet potato vines… Selected households have signed a commitment to implement the caring and nursing of Mong Cai sows in accordance with techniques that they have been training as well as advisory opinions of the NIAH scientists. At the same time, farmers had to record and update data daily on the notebook supplied by the NIAH researchers in order to manage and analyse the data. The prior results show that the average weight gain of Mong Cai gilts was 10 kg/head/month and the first mating age that Mong Cai gilts got pregnant was 7 – 8 months with 55 -60 kg average body weight/head. 2.5. Checking and monitoring the project implementation Ms. Tarni went to Vietnam and worked for the purpose of completing websites to data (see detailed reports of Tarni) In June 2008, Australian expert on animal health and specialist on pig house design (Dr. Tonny and Dr. Cholin), who worked as the foreign technical experts and officials operating the project, and Vietnamese specialists organised the training course on pig shed in accordance with farmer group. Each farmer group included 6 farmers concentrated in the farmer household that was chosen to conduct the evaluation of current status of pig sheds, hygiene and environment. Based on that the specialists touch farmers how to improve the premises, breeding, feeding and disease prevention (see detailed reports of Tony and Cholin). The training courses were very necessary and useful for farmers. Through the training courses, along with foreign experts, farmers shared their experiences and learned a lot of 5 knowledge about new technological advance in livestock production. At the same time they received the dedicated guidance of experts how to raise pigs with better performance through pig shed improving regarding to the ventilation in summer, the warm in winter and ensuring good environmental sanitation and effectively disease prevention and treatment. 3. Activities in the last 6 months of the year 2008 and early 2009 To improve the content of the proposed plan implementation of the project in 2008, some activities have been implemented in the last 6 months in 2008 and early 2009 as follows: 3.1. Consulting and supporting for Mong Cai breeding 18 Mong Cai pigs including the 14 MC gilts and 4 MC boars were transferred to Quang Tri province in October 2008. With the aim of making fresh blood of Mong Cai pigs in Quang Tri, 18 MC pigs were selected from Trang Due Mong Cai breeding farm in Hai Phong province located in the Northeast of Vietnam. Quang Tri has just experienced PRRS, so the vetarinary requirements were very strict. The time for waiting the vaccine effect in Hai Phong and raising in Quang Tri before distributing to households was 30 days. The additional costs for the second raising in Quang Tri before distributing to households were AU $ 1538.5. The total extra costs incurred of 2 purchasing batches were AU $ 7648 (details see files attached: Costs of maintain selected MC pig) Two of four Mong Cai boars added have started producing the semen. The four MC boars were assigned to the Long Hung farm of semen production by Mr. Van Anh-owner. A contract of the caring and nursing of Mong Cai boars was signed between project officials and farm owners with commitments as follow: + To care and nurse MC boars according to techniques they were trained as well as comments by the NIAH science consultants. + To record and update information on daily caring and nursing and exploiting the semen in a notebook supplied by NIAH officials to manage and analyse the data. + The Long Hung farm of semen production provides free Mong Cai semen to all sows of households participating in the project (173 sows), with 2 doses per one mating time - with dual mating. Because physiological development of the Mong Cai sows in the first litter is not yet perfect, so all 64 Mong Cai gilts provided by the project would be inseminated artificially by semen of exotic pigs (Landrace or Yorkshire) in the first pregnant to produce fattening pigs. From the second litter, all 64 Mong Cai sows will be inseminated artificially by Mong Cai semen to multiplicate Mong Cai breed. Foot and Mouth disease and PRRS were occurred all over Hai Lang district including Phu Hai and Hai Thuong communes where the projects have been implemented in 2007 and 2008. That is the reason why the project progress was slow. Moreover, number of Mong Cai pigs was reduced in comparison with the original plan due to the price of Mong Cai gilts increased after ending diseases, while the fund for pig purchases was approved from the 6 beginning of the year. The PRRS caused the heaviest damage at the households in An Khe village, Hai Thuong commune, with only remaining Mong Cai gilts of the project. Total numbers of Mong Cai pigs that have been monitoring by the project are now 177 (including pig’s head of the projects and pig's head of households), in which: No Pig type Quantity (head) Note 1 Lactating sows 16 2 Pregnant sows 90 3 Farrowing sows 19 4 Gilts 48 5 Mong Cai boars 4 3.2. Participating in the Animal Science Congress of the Asian – Australian Association of Animal Production Societies (The 13th AAAP). The 13th AAAP was organized at Hanoi from 22 nd to 27 th September, 2008. With fund supporting by AUSAID, 11 Vietnamese researchers participating to CARD project took part in the 13th AAAP. The list of participants is as follow: - Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry (HUAF) 1. Nguyen Quang Linh 2. Ho Ngoc Phuong 3. Ngo Huu Toan 4. Ha Thi Hue - National Institute of Animal Husbandry (NIAH) 5. Ta Thi Bich Duyen 6. Nguyen Que Coi 7. Dang Hoang Bien 8. Nguyen Nguyet Cam - National Institute of Veterinary (NIVR) 9. Cu Huu Phu 10. Au Xuan Tuan 11. Nguyen Xuan Huyen This is a conference with the subject "Livestock production and the role of small livestock farms in the global economy". The 13th AAAP was successful with more than 800 participants who are scientists, the farm owner and students from nearly 40 countries around the world. The scientist group of the CARD-004/05VIE project also presented some reports as well as scientific poster on the research results achieved by the project. Unfortunately, Dr. Cholin did not attend the conference, although his report was printed in the proceeding of the conference and arranged in the concurrent session of pig nutrition, feeding and management". 3.3. Establishment of farmer interested club of Mong Cai pig production 7 In recent years, pig production in general has faced many difficulties such as decreasing pig population, epidemic diseases occurred continuously (PRRS, foot-and-mouth diseases ). Therefore the farmers experienced difficulty to confront the market. Livestock products are created with small amount and pressed output prices by business man when there are more products. In addition, the hygiene and safety of food can not be controlled. With the goal of contributing to support farmers to transfer the economic structure in agriculture and creating the Mong Cai breeding region in Hai Lang district - Quang Tri province to meet the supply of Mong Cai breed with high quality for the farms in Hai Lang area as well as other regions, we have proposed to establish the farmer interested club of Mong Cai pig production. 3 farmer interested clubs of Mong Cai pig production was established in October 2008 at An Khe, Thuong Xa and Phu Hung villages in accordance with the Decision of the Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Thuong and Phu Hai communes. Members of each group consist of households participating in the CARD-004/05VIE project in those villages. When the farmer interested clubs work effectively, they can admit other members. The leaders representing the Party Committee, People's Committees, Women's Association, the Farmer’s Association of Hai Thuong and Phu Hai communes and the NIAH researchers (Dr. Duyen, Ms. Hoang and Mr. Sang) involved and controlled the ceremony of the establishment of farmer interested clubs. During the ceremony of the establishment of farmer interested club, members voted for 3 group leaders: 1. Mr. Le Dinh Danh, group leader of the Phu Hung farmer interested club of Mong Cai pig production in Phu Hai commune. 2. Mr. Dao Van, group leader of the Dai An farmer interested club of Mong Cai pig production, in Hai Thuong commune. 3. Mr. Phan Dinh Trang, group leader of the Thuong Xa farmer interested club of Mong Cai pig production in Hai Thuong commune. The leaders of these clubs are responsible for the connection between the club members and project staffs to share experiences and learn new technological advances in pig production as well as help each other to develop sustainable pig production. To create initially operational expenditure for the farmer interested clubs, CARD-004/05VIE project supported around AU$ 6500 for the activities: + Risk fund for 173 sows; + 3 bookshelves for 3 clubs (including books on pig raising techniques, daily agricultural newspapers and information technology with a volume/2 weeks). These bookshelves have been placed in the leader’s home; + Fund for supporting member’s activities. 8 After the farmer interested clubs were established, the spirit of farmers participating in the project was excited. As recently experienced 2 stages of heavily epidemic disease damages, with the support of money as well as their knowledge of new breeds, feeding, hygiene and disease prevention, the farmer interested club’s activities encouraged farmers to have more confidence in the pig production development. 3.4. Consulting and supporting for waste treatment, hygiene and disease prevention. Developing sustainable livestock production without affecting the health of human beings and animals is one of those issues that are concerned and implemented. The NIAH officers have been deploying to guide farmers in the waste treatment with the most effective methods and in the best measures for disease prevention. The methods of waste treatment and disease prevention have to be suitable for small and medium pig farms in Hai Lang district, Quang Tri province in order to minimize disease, environmental pollution environment, with the detailed contents as follows: - To consult farmers the negative impacts, effects of environmental pollution around the pig shed on the health of human beings and animals and the benefits of the implementation of the waste treatments to reduce environmental pollution. - To instruct farmers how to make composting container to kill the germs in the manure and increase the effective use of manure and how to improve waste drainage to limit environmental pollution. The project will support the farms with large scale to construct biogas systems that will be deployed in early 2009 after ending the rainy season. - To guide the farmers how to prevent and treat normal pig diseases, especially destroy scabies in pigs. - To monitor, treat and record the pig epidemic diseases occurred as well as implement waste treatment to reduce environmental pollution. 3.5. Consulting and supporting for caring and nursing Mong Cai sows and piglets. - Artificial insemination for all Mong Cai sows of the project; - Monitoring and evaluating the use of hugging compartments - Guiding farmers to record and update data on the notebook provided by NIAH officers. - Selecting and building demonstrated model for other household study. - Monthly, if farmers do perform well the application of technological advances and record and update data fully, they will be supported labor cost. 3.6. Checking and controlling the project implementation. - To organize the meetings of the farmer interested clubs of Mong Cai pig production with rich contents, exchanging information on pig production and consumption of products. - To end the supporting to upgrade and build new pig sheds. - To continue checking and evaluating the project implementation. 9 4. Advantages and difficulties during the project implementation 4.1. Advantages - The NIAH officers participating in the project have experiences in implementing projects, transferring the technological advances to farmers and using farmer participatory training approach. - Quang Tri province has consumption market of pigs to Laos, so the development of Mong Cai sows producing pig breeds is the necessary need of farmers. Despite the farmers in Quang Tri province are poor, they prefer to learn new knowledge about animal husbandry and have aspirations to develop pig raising effectively. Project fund is a very big help for farmers implementing their aspirations. 4.2. Difficulties. - Not all the households participating in the project are of the same academic level and pig raising experience. - Although the project has fund to support for pig shed improving and upgrading, it is very difficult to convince them to build a new pig shed following the pig shed design of the project because most households lack of capital. - Foot and mouth disease and PRRS continuously occurred in the last 6 months in 2007 and the first 6 months of the year 2008 in Quang Tri province did not only damage the economy of the farmer households but also slow the pace of the project implementation. Number of pigs also reduced after ending epidemic diseases, so it should require more time to recover the pig herd 5. Recommendations Foot and mouth disease and PRRS continuously occurred in the last 6 months in 2007 and the first 6 months of the year 2008 in Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue do arise some costs as a result of the vaccine for 2 above diseases and Mong Cai gilt raising time in Quang Tri before distributing to farmers and do slow the pace of the project implementation. Therefore, we have some recommendations: - To approve and support additional expense due to Mong Cai gilt raising time in Quang Tri before distributing to farmers with the total amount of AU$ 7648 as soon as possible. - Australian and Vietnamese project management board should consider the project to extend more than one year compared to the initial plan (2010). The above are the work contents conducted by officers participating to CARD-004/05VIE project. We hope to get comments from the experts as well as officials assessed so that we can complete the project well. Reporter Ta Thi Bich Duyen [...]... problems at farrowing 11 Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development Project Progress Report SIX-MONTHLY REPORT (January to June 2008) 1 INSTITUTE INFORMATION Blueprint Pig Production Development in Small Households In Central Region, Vietnam Project Name (Sub-component implemented in Thừa Thiên Huế and Quang Nam provinces) Vietnamese Institution Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry Vietnamese Project... to pig production in Central Region, Vietnam in the duration of 2006 – 2009 Project consists of 3 subcomponents; each sub-component is implemented by one local partner They are:- Sub-component implemented in Binh Dinh province by National Institute of Veterinary Research - Sub-component implemented in Quang Tri province by National Institute of Animal Husbandry; and - Sub-component implemented in Thua... recording and caculating economical efficiency in Mong Cai pig production Part II PIG HOUSE DESIGNS Lecturer Mr Bien Part II Vet IN MONG CAI PIG PRODUCTION Lecturer Dr Tuyen - Preventive hygiene - Technology for injecting some pig diseases - Attention to use vaccine - Technology for determining diseased pigs - Some regular diseases and Vet Technologies in pig production - Technology for helping and... project the farmers were joined many training programes on pigs production These training concentrated to train them on sow and piglet production After joining the training, the farmers have known how to raise a good sow, good piglet For instance, how to control the sow’s fat while pregnancy time, lactating time, how to give score to the sows, how to keep warm for piglets Before joining the project, they... understanding on sow production (included piglet production) There were 24 training certificates that conducted to farmers and local veterinariants in Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue Particularly, local Vets can understand the role of E.coli vaccines for sows in pregnant periods, it will be earlier injection for sow during pregnancy periods of 70 – 80 days Feeding schedules and regimes for sows and piglets... Telephone: Fax: Email: In Vietnam Name: Dr Nguyen Quang Linh Telephone: 84.54.53464 1 Dean Position: Fax: Organisation Hue University of Agriculture and Email: Forestry 84.54.524923 nqlinh2001@gmail.com 1 INTRODUCTION Project named Blueprint Pig Production Development in small households in the Central Region is one of projects that belong to the Collaborative Program between MARD, Vietnam and Australian... 2 IMPLEMENTATION RESULTS OF INITIATED ACTION PLAN OF FISRT SIX MONTHS, 2008 2.1 Training course and results The training course on farms was conducted by Vietnamese and Australian teams, aiming in providing of knowledges and skills as: - Herd monitoring and management - Effect of creep-box on piglets health - Housing and environment condition - Pig nutrition and feeding - Pig diseases: control and prevention... number piglets Notes Quang Tho 20 273 Include the piglets of the 4 sows were died due to PRRS before 2nd litter Thuy Duong 15 185 Binh Dien 11 113 Commune Include the piglets of the 4 sows were romoved out after finishing the 1st litter Include the piglets of the 1 sows were removed out after finishing the 1st litter 5 Thuy Phuong 15 Huong Chu 14 10 piglets were died at Ms Ha's farm 161 254 Include the piglets... blinds were taken out in hot days - Heat control: The high temperature in summer was the problem that the farmers were facing In summer, the temperature may be 38 – 400C Normally, to cool the pigs the farmers used shower only, but from the time joining the project they were paticipated many training programes on pigs production We encouraged them to use roof-cool, opening blind, electric fan combine... problems of the farm Finaly was the time for dicussion: the farmers gave 2 questions to the lecturers The questions are the problems that they have been met during pigs production progress After finishing the training programe the farmers were receivied the certifiate that they have attended the training by CARD project Results of the training course: After finishing the training course, the farmers . 1. INSTITUTE INFORMATION Project Name Blueprint Pig Production Development in Small Households In Central Region, Vietnam (Sub-component implemented in Thừa Thiên Huế and Quang Nam provinces) . Production Development in Small Households In Central Region, Vietnam (Sub-component implemented in Quang Tri provinces) Vietnamese Institution National Institute of Animal Husbandry Vietnamese Project. paticipating CARD project the farmers were joined many training programes on pigs production. These training concentrated to train them on sow and piglet production. After joining the training,