Quang Ninh has the first avian influenza-free zone

Through inspection and evaluation results at the end of 2023 of the Quang Ninh Sub-Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Quang Tan commune (Dam Ha district) met all required indicators and criteria, including results of regular and continuous monitoring for 6 months on all 2 seed production facilities and 15 farms and individual livestock households in 7 hamlets of the commune.

At the same time, the results of testing samples for pathogens, especially avian influenza disease, which was jointly carried out by the District Agricultural Technical Service Center and the Quang Ninh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, were also reviewed.

Ms. Chu Thi Thu Thuy, Director of the Sub-Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, said that since 2012, the entire Quang Tan commune has strongly developed the Dam Ha chicken farming model, but no outbreak has arisen. Notably, through inspection, it was shown that the works of barn hygiene, environmental disinfection, and waste and wastewater treatment of livestock households were all well implemented.

It is known that Dam Ha village chicken is the most famous product of Dam Ha district. Previously, this chicken variety was only raised by a few ethnic minority households living in the highlands of the district using natural grazing methods on a small scale.

Tuyen Hien Cooperative (Tan Hoa hamlet, Quang Tan commune) is a pioneering unit in restoring and bringing Dam Ha village chicken breeds to farmer households in the commune. Since then, Dam Ha village chicken has become a product favored by consumers inside and outside the province.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Tuyen, Director of Tuyen Hien Cooperative, to meet the requirements of becoming a safe farming area, models of linking commercial Dam Ha village chicken farming are carried out in a closed process from on-spot breed production using artificial insemination, controlling feed in livestock, etc., to product consumption.

To be more specific, strictly applying biosafety farming procedures, disease prevention procedures with vaccines, and importing breeds with clear origins and quarantine according to regulations.

Human pathogens are also noted to have strict control measures, restricting people from entering and leaving the livestock farming area without following epidemic prevention instructions. In addition, livestock farmers must use labor protection; motor vehicles carrying goods must pass through lime pits; and the entire vehicle body must be disinfected.

"For more than 10 years, thanks to strict compliance with the care process, Dam Ha village chicken farming households in Quang Tan commune have not let any epidemics occur, and the chickens have grown healthy, so farmers feel secure in their production," Mr.Tuyen said.

The fact that Quang Tan commune was certified as a "disease-free zone" and is the first facility in the province to achieve this achievement brings important meaning to the locality’s key economic sector. Thereby, contributing to affirming the value and expanding the potential for agricultural economic development here. Currently, many households in Quang Tan commune have also invested in Dam Ha village chicken farming in the direction of applying science and technology, bringing an income of about VND 200 million/year.

Notably, this will be an advantage in promoting the brand of clean, safe, high-quality agricultural products that meet consumers’ needs. At the same time, attracting businesses to invest in building production chains, especially deep processing, to improve the value of Dam Ha village chicken products.

The Dam Ha Village Chicken product has currently been granted a trademark registration certificate by the Intellectual Property Office of Viet Nam since June 2019, recognized as a 4-star OCOP product, and honored as one of the typical agricultural products of Quang Ninh province.