Nguyen Thi Binh, Director of Binh Minh Company, is the first woman to boldly bring African ostriches to raise in the mountainous district of Kinh Mon (Hai Duong Province). This has ushered in a new era for economic development activities in the district in particular and Hai Duong Province in general.

Although the ostrich farm of the company started operations in 2009, it has attained promising results. Currently, this farm covering 11ha, has 1,000 ostriches. A mature ostrich weighs 90-120kg on average. Each female ostrich provides 40-60 eggs a year.

According to Binh, the strain of ostriches raised in the farm is bought from the National Institute of Animal Husbandry in Thuy Phuong Commune, Tu Liem District, Hanoi. To develop ostrich farming, the company has developed a model that includes an administrative management area, a system of cages to raise ostriches for meat, a hatchery, a house for raising newly-hatched and small ostriches, a food warehouse and a slaughter house. The hatchery is equipped with a system of modern Italian incubators.

 

Ostriches live in the desert and run a lot. The more they run the healthier they become. So their cages are filled with sand and planted with grass to make a playground for them.

The newly-hatched ostriches are kept in specific cages which are equipped with a system of light bulbs for warmth. Each cage is watched over by three or four workers. Nguyen Thi Huyen, a technician at the farm said that the ostrich eats a lot, so the workers must watch over them while they eat and take care of them all the time.

The company also pays attention to the food and diet of the ostriches. Their food is simple, mainly cereals such as maize, husks of green beans, rice bran, broken rice and fresh vegetables. They eat a lot of vegetables and natural grass. The cereals are supplied by reputable agents to ensure good quality.

Thanks to a good regimen and care, the ostriches in the farm grow quickly with their weight increasing nearly 10kg a month on average and yield high quality meat and eggs.

Good news has wings. The number of customers from many provinces coming to buy ostrich products is on the rise. Apart from eggs, skin and feathers, ostrich meat, which is sold at a price of 200,000-220,000 VND per kilo, is much sought after by restaurants.

Ostrich eggs are also a favourite product because they are highly nutritious. The shells of the eggs are made into fine art items of high economic value. Now Binh Minh Company is the largest supplier of ostrich eggs and meat to Hai Phong and Hanoi, two large markets in the country. In the near future the company will expand its markets at home and abroad.

The establishment of a centre for breeding and raising ostriches has not only created jobs for the local people but also opened a promising trend of economic development for a poor hamlet like Minh Tan. It is a new and creative way but it is also very challenging in the implementation of the rural development policies of Kinh Mon in particular and Hai Duong Province in general.