In 2016, after graduating from high school, instead of applying for university like his peers, Phu enrolled in a work-study automotive repair program in Japan which paid VND40 million monthly.

In 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, his work came to a halt. This, plus concern about his parents, prompted him to come back to Vietnam.

Amid the challenges of the pandemic, Phu wanted to do something practical that could both generate income and help people protect their health.

"I wanted to start a business that was less common. I found the 'four great tonics' in Eastern medicine - ginseng, deer antler, cinnamon, and aconite root. Ginseng and cinnamon are being grown in Quang Nam. As for aconite root, it isn't suitable for the local climate. So, raising deer for the antlers was the most feasible option," Phu explained. 

In late 2020, with savings he had accumulated in Japan and money he had borrowed, he spent nearly VND2 billion to upgrade his family's garden and build a deer farm, where he raised 15 purebred spotted deer at VND35 million each on a trial basis.

Phu said raising spotted deer is not too difficult. They are robust animals with good disease resistance, adaptable to various climates. Therefore, farmers need only limited experience raising them, but should be knowledgeable about diseases for timely treatment. Because spotted deer mainly eat grass and bananas, farming costs are not high.

"In a 2-hectare area, I grow corn, cassava, sweet potatoes and grass to feed the deer. After two years of raising them, at the beginning of 2023, I harvested the first batch of antlers. Among the group of deer, five females reproduced, so now I have a total of 20 deer," he said.

Phu explained that spotted deer have a relatively long lifespan, about 20 years before being culled. Thus, antlers can be harvested for 15 years.

"Before the time to collect antlers, the deer must be nourished 1-2 months in advance so that they are healthy and the antlers are of the best weight and quality. Antlers should be harvested within a 45-day period, when they are the richest in medicinal properties. After that, the antlers mature and fall off naturally," he explained.

On average, a mature deer can provide 1-2 antler harvests per year, with each batch weighing about 1-2 kilograms. Currently, fresh deer antlers are priced at VND15-20 million per kilogram.

Ha Nam