Raising bamboo rats - an open direction for rural economy

In the process of finding new livelihoods, many households in Thai Nguyen, especially in mountainous communes, are switching to specialty livestock models instead of relying solely on traditional rice or livestock. Among them, raising bamboo rats is a promising direction. With low investment capital, taking advantage of available food sources and a consumer market in the high-priced specialty segment, this model is attracting the attention of many households in rural areas.

The bamboo rat farm of Mr. Hua Van Thuong's family (Na Ri commune) is equipped with a heating and cooling system, helping the bamboo rats grow and develop well.

Bamboo rats are rodents distributed in many mountainous areas, with a compact body, gray-brown fur, living in caves and being active mainly at night. Their favorite foods include bamboo, reeds, sugarcane, corn, and cassava - plants that are easy to find in the countryside. Bamboo rats reproduce all year round, have good resistance, and are less susceptible to disease than many other livestock. Compared to other livestock models, raising bamboo rats does not require a large area or high capital.

A household can start with 5-10 breeding pairs, with a capital of about 10-15 million VND. The cages only need small, airy cells, placed in the corner of the yard or an empty warehouse. In areas where bamboo grows abundantly, the cost of feed is low, creating a clear advantage for mountain farmers.

Mr. Nong Van Vinh, Tran Phu commune, has been raising bamboo rats since 2023. When he first started, he only raised 10 pairs for testing, after 1 year he started to increase the total herd. Up to now, the herd has grown to 200. He sells both breeding bamboo rats and commercial bamboo rats, mainly within the province and provinces such as: Hanoi , Bac Ninh, Hai Phong city...

Mr. Vinh shared: Bamboo rats are popular with many people, so the market consumes them easily. Currently, the family's cage can raise up to 300 bamboo rats, so I continue to increase the total herd.

Although bamboo rats are quite easy to raise, they are sensitive to temperature, suitable for the range of 19-28°C. They can suffer from diarrhea, constipation, pneumonia, flu due to changes in weather or unsafe food. Breeders need to regularly monitor the health of the flock, promptly treat diseases and pay attention to cleaning the cages. In addition, it is also necessary to carefully understand the characteristics and habits of bamboo rats to pair them for breeding smoothly, limiting herd loss.

Many rural youth choose to raise bamboo rats for economic development (photo taken in Bach Thong commune).

After 6 years of raising rats, Mr. Hua Van Thuong, Na Ri commune, has accumulated a lot of experience. He invested in building solid cages, installing cooling and heating systems, temperature and humidity measuring devices to create favorable conditions for rats to reproduce. Therefore, rats develop and reproduce well. On average, each litter, rats give birth to 1-6 babies.

Mr. Thuong said: From knowing nothing about bamboo rats, I can now diagnose, treat, and treat wounds. I also stock up on all kinds of medicine, alcohol, bandages, etc. When properly cared for, bamboo rats will grow well and bring in a good income.

In Yen Phong commune, the bamboo rat breeding model is being replicated. According to statistics, the whole commune currently has over 200 households raising bamboo rats with a scale of 50 or more. In addition, there are many households that are experimenting with small-scale breeding. Many households have 300-500 bamboo rats, and even 2 households have a total herd of nearly 1,000 bamboo rats.

From the economic efficiency, the commune has implemented 2 projects from national target programs to support poor and near-poor households to raise bamboo rats. In addition, from the Farmers Support Fund at all levels, the commune disbursed to 35 bamboo rat raising households, creating conditions for people to expand the scale.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thu, Chairwoman of the Farmers' Association of Yen Phong Commune, said: Since 2013, some households in the commune have started to raise bamboo rats on a trial basis. After the results were achieved, people have gradually expanded the practice. Up to now, bamboo rat raising has become a sustainable economic development direction for the locality. The commune continues to implement support programs and loans to create favorable conditions for people to raise bamboo rats.

To raise bamboo rats effectively, people need to prepare closed cages, cement floors, airy but low light, moderate humidity. Food must be fresh, clean, and free of mold.

Rats are separated from their mothers about 45 days after birth. After being separated, they are raised for about 2 months until they reach a weight of 500 grams and can be sold as breeding rats. The average price ranges from 1.2 to 1.5 million VND/pair. Commercial rats, depending on the breed, weigh from 1.2 to 2.6 kg. The price ranges from 400,000 to 550,000 VND/kg.

From a little-known wild rodent, bamboo rats have become a specialty that brings significant income to many households in the mountains. For bamboo rat farming to develop sustainably, there needs to be a close connection between breeders, breeding units and consumption channels, along with support from the government in technical training and brand building, contributing to making bamboo rats a specialty product that brings sustainable value to the people of Thai Nguyen .

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202508/nuoi-dui-huong-mo-cho-kinh-te-nong-thon-53c6d41/