(VOVWORLD) - Tan Tai Loc dairy farm in Dai Tam commune, My Xuyen district, Soc Trang province, meets international standards, thanks to applying modern technology in raising dairy cows. It is a role model in rural economic development in Soc Trang.
Tan Tai Loc dairy farm (Photo: Ngoc Anh)
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Established in 2014 and operational one year later, Tan Tai Loc dairy farm applies a closed breeding process and automated equipment to purify the air, milk the cows, and transfer the milk into cold storage tanks.
In 2018 the farm was certified to meet GlobalGAP standards, said Diep Kinh Tan, Director of the Tan Tai Loc Company.
He told VOV tha the farm was designed and built in accordance with Dutch standards with the support of the Dutch Lady Company.
“We buy Australian and American dairy cow breeds from the Vietnam Dairy Products Company (Vinamilk), which purchases cow milk from the farm. We always have around 200 cows, milking twice a day. Each day we collect nearly 900 kg of cow milk. Each kilo is sold for 7 cents, earning a monthly revenue of 12,000 USD and a profit of 4,000 USD after deducting expenses,” Tan said.
Diep Kinh Tan, Director of the Tan Tai Loc Company (Photo: Ngoc Anh) |
To ensure a source of food for the cows, the farm has set aside 9 ha of land to grow grass.
Thanh Truc, the wife of Tan, the owner of Tan Tai Loc dairy farm, said to have cows of high quality, it’s necessary to keep the barn clean and airy, and feed them good food. The cow feed includes grass, straw, corn silage, sugar cane shoots, molasses, and starch. Heifers have their first calf at two years of age and after that produce milk. A healthy dairy cow can give more than 20 kilos of milk a day.
“We now have about 200 cows, half of which are dairy cows. Breeding cows provide calves. Heifers are raised for milk and bulls for meat,” said Truc.
Tan Tai Loc dairy farm has created local jobs and income. It has 6 permanent workers. During the milking season, it hires 10 more workers. The income of each worker ranges from 250 USD to more than 370 USD a month.
Diep Hung Quoc, a worker at the farm, said he earns about 290 USD a month.
“The farm gives me food and accommodation, and buys health insurance and social insurance for me. I have worked there for 4 years and earn enough to live. I want to work overtime on the weekend to increase my income and improve my standard of living,” said Quoc.
Tan and his wife are always ready to support local small farming households with breeds, techniques, and experience. The couple also participate in social security.
A shed at Tan Tai Loc dairy farm (Photo: Ngoc Anh) |
According to Truong Tan Lam, Deputy Chairman of Dai Tam commune’s People's Committee, Tan’s farm has contributed a lot to the community.
“He has sponsored the construction of 2 local kindergartens and is the tier 1 agent of the Cargill Company, part of the US’s Cargill Corporation, an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial, and industrial products and services. Our commune has an advantage in agricultural production and animal husbandry. Raising dairy cows has helped us eliminate hunger and reduce poverty,” said Lam.
Tan Tai Loc dairy farm is a rural economic role model that should be replicated, where dairy farmers can come to study dairy management and breeding.