VGRRC - Address, Status & Mission
 |
Address: |
Son Tay town · Ba Vi district
Ha Tay province
Vietnam |
| How to get there: |
driving instructions |
| Telephone: |
++84 (0)34 838 341 |
| Fax: |
++84 (0)34 838 889 |
| E-mail: |
Binhbavi@netnam.vn
|
| Director: |
Ass. Prof. Dr. Dinh Van Binh |
| Foundation: |
1978 |
| Mission: |
Research, Extension + Training |
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Photos |
I have been living and working at VGRRC for two years from 2001 to 2003.
Dr. Binh and his team, the people in Son Tay and Ba Vi made my stay their challenging and rewarding. Without a translator, I had to learn Vietnamese. My basic Vietnamese and their lac k of practice in spoken English made it difficult, especially in the beginning, but we managed and became a great team during my assignment. I have never encountered more patient language teachers, and my language skills improved considerably.
The staff is competent and dedicated. Without a regular translator and the lack of funds as the limiting factor in expanding the centre's activities throughout Vietnam, the focus of my work shifted from training and extension to initiating and maintaining liaison on behalf of VGRRC with donor agencies. Obtaining co-financing with bilateral and multilateral aid agencies in and outside Vietnam through suitable project proposals became an important task.
Find out more about VGRRC, the work that is done there and Vietnam by following the links provided.
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Status
The Goat and Rabbit Research Centre Vietnam (VGRRC) under the direction of the Ministry for Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) belongs to the National Institute of Animal Husbandry (NIAH). Professor Dr. Dinh Van Binh is the director of VGRRC.
VGRRC was originally founded in 1978 as rabbit research centre. Research on small ruminants (goats and sheep) began in 1993. The Centre employed 70 permanent staff, including 2 Ph.D., 6 M.Sc. holders and 15 Engineers in 2001. VGRRC is organised in four chairs (goat breeding, rabbit breeding, sheep breeding, animal nutrition) and two divisions (Technical Transfer and Administration). Out of the 64.9 ha total area, 50 ha are used for fodder production, forest and fish ponds. Currently around 700 goats, 200 sheep and 3000 rabbits are kept. Recently, VGRRC has started with earthworm breeding and production.
VGRRC demonstrates via the Technical Transfer and Training Centre the advantages of the VACRB sustainable farming system on site, which includes the components forest - garden - animal shed - bio-gas - pond. VGRRC has a computer centre for technical staff and visiting scientists and students. Trainings are offered for farmers, schools and local authorities. The centre has accommodation available for participants and is offering training courses targeted at the specific needs of their audiences.
Livestock are often the only capital reserve of farming households, to be sold when ready cash is needed. Livestock are critical to sustaining subsistence farmers. Improved management techniques are taught to farmers in order to maintain and increase productivity without the need for externally purchased inputs, thus increasing farmers’ income and alleviating poverty.
Resource use within the VACRB type of mixed farming is highly self-reliant as nutrients and energy flow from crops to livestock and back. Moreover, for subsistence farmers, animal nutrient recycling through manure allows access to energy for household use (biogas for cooking) and compensates for access to fertilizer. Waste product (manure) is processed within the system. The closed system offers positive incentives to compensate for environmental effects, making it less damaging or more beneficial to the natural resource base.
Earthworm production offers another possibility to process manure on farm. The manure is converted into almost pathogen free compost that can be used on-farm or sold. The earthworm are a highly palatable, protein-rich addition to the diet for poultry (ducks and chicken).
Diseases and parasites are major constraints to livestock production. A veterinary laboratory has been set up, offering farmers diagnostic facilities on demand for improved disease management and disease control strategies.
The Region
VGRRC is situated in Ha Tay Province, Son Tay town and Ba Vi district (approximately 60 km North-West of Hanoi), bordering the western mountainous area. Ba Vi is home to approximately 230,000 residents or 50,000 households, 91% of the population are Kinh (ethnic majority of Vietnam), 8% are Muong and 1% are Dao (pronounced Sao).
Ba Vi district covers 410 sq. km, 270 sq. km are agricultural land (140 sq. km are used for rice cultivation). The remaining area is covered by forests, lakes and virgin land (Ba Vi National Park). Because of the proximity of Ha Noi and the beautiful landscape it is a popular day-trip destination from Hanoi.
Revenue generated by tourism is higher than revenue generated from agricultural activities and therefore constitutes a substantial part of the district’s income. Despite these favourable conditions, Ba Vi counts among the poor districts of Vietnam. The annual per capita income is US $120 only.
Mission
The Centre has the following tasks:
Research on
- Conservation of national gene pool (indigenous goat, sheep and rabbit breeds)
- Adaptation and productivity studies in the different agro-ecological zones of Vietnam on indigenous and imported goat, sheep and rabbit breeds
- Cross breeding experiments with indigenous and imported goat, sheep and rabbit breeds
- Livestock production system VACRB: Enhancing livestock-environment synergies to maximize animal productivity without damaging the environment
- Experiments on forage production, improving green material yields, conservation techniques, the impact on soil erosion and soil quality, production of fuel-wood by experimenting with different species of fodder crops an trees
- To characterize local feed resources, particularly forages, locally produced feed supplements and crop by-products
- To identify ways of combining them to maximize animal productivity without damaging the environment
- Experiments on feeding methods
- Research on disease control strategies and disease management in goat, sheep and rabbits
- Research on earthworm breeding and production
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Extension
- To set up model farms and provide farmers with appropriate breeding stock in the different agro-ecological zones of Vietnam
- To advise and train farmers in applying VACRB on their farms, adapted to prevailing local conditions, introducing goat and rabbit husbandry, earthworm production, cultivation of fodder plants and crops, etc.
- To develop training materials (books and handouts) for farmers
- To advise and train farmers in applying disease control strategies and disease management through improved management methods
- To promote environmental-friendly technologies such as bio gas and construction of energy saving ovens
Co-operation
- with bi- an multilateral donors such as DED (German Development Service), FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), as well as the German, British and the Australian Embassy in Hanoi
- with research institutions via SAREC (Swedish Agency for Research Co-operation with Developing Countries, a division of SIDA, the Swedish International Development Agency)
- with the American Genetics International Institute, Texas
- with the Central Institute for Research on Goats Makhdoon, India as well as the University of Godollo, Hungary
- with UTA Foundation Cambodia
- with ACIAR, Australia
- Close co-operation with people’s committees and women’s unions in Ba Vi and Son Tay district
Awards received
- In 1999, "For the Agricultural Career of Vietnam" by the Vietnamese Government (Director, VGRRC, Dr. Dinh Van Binh and DED staff Dr. Franz Kehlbach)
- Edouard Saouma Award 2000-2001 by FAO for successfully installing and maintaining a goat milk processing unit, producing yoghurt and cheese.
Shop in Hanoi
Assisting local farmers in marketing milk and meat by selling goat cheese, milk and meat (goat, sheep and rabbit) in the centre’s shop in Hanoi. The shop was set up with the help of the Dutch embassy.
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Myself
