Ethnic minorities in Kon Tum have, for the first time, introduced biological bedding and probiotic products in pig farming, which are now delivering economic benefits.
Clean Environment, Healthier Pigs
Previously, livestock farming in Kon Plông District (Kon Tum) was mostly small-scale and household-based, with the common practice of free-range pig raising. In particular, many households built pens on sloped hillsides, which were often makeshift and unhygienic. This led to poor animal health and contributed to environmental pollution.
Ethnic minority people in Kon Plông District are using biological bedding in pig farming for the first time. Photo: Tuấn Anh.
In 2024 and early 2025, the People’s Committee of Kon Plông District launched a pilot model of disease-safe pig farming using biological bedding.
This is the first model of its kind in Kon Tum Province implemented in ethnic minority areas, with the participation of households in Kon Vơng Kia village (Mang Den township, Kon Plông District).
The model aims to make full use of local resources, reduce production costs for farmers, and serve as a demonstration model for wider implementation across the province.
Field observations in Kon Vơng Kia show that sudden rains make the paths to pig farming households muddy and difficult to traverse. Despite the unfavorable weather, local farmers feel more at ease knowing their pigs are protected by warm, safe biological bedding. No longer do they worry that rains will chill the pigs, causing them to gradually weaken and die.
When we arrived for a visit, Mr. A Biang from Kon Vơng Kia village was chopping banana stalks to feed the pigs. He paused and greeted us with a warm smile. His family is one of the households supported by the Kon Plông District Agricultural Service Center in building a biological bedding-based pig farming system.
Accordingly, Mr. A Biang’s family received assistance in renovating their pigsty, using a mixture of sawdust, rice husks, and rice bran combined with a layer of beneficial microorganisms spread on the floor.
The pigs are fed with agricultural by-products combined with probiotics. Photo: Tuấn Anh.
Mr. A Biang shared that this method helps keep his family’s pigsty clean and limits the growth of harmful microorganisms.
In addition, the use of biological bedding effectively keeps the pigs warm and extends the lifespan of the pigsty floor.
What Mr. A Biang appreciates most about the biosecure pig farming model is that it significantly reduces feed costs. By utilizing locally available agricultural by-products mixed with probiotics and fermenting them at a specific ratio, he can directly feed the pigs without relying on expensive commercial feed.
“We no longer have to stay up late or wake up early to cook bran mash for the pigs twice a day,” Mr. A Biang said.
“Now, in the mornings, we just take some time to cut banana stems or collect wild vegetables, put them in barrels, and the pigs can feed on them for several days.”
Mr. A Biang also noted that before using biological bedding, his seven pigs were often weak and frequently sick. But now, even in cold and windy weather, they remain healthy thanks to the warmth provided by the bedding. Importantly, the biosecurity application has helped the pigs eat well, stay healthy, and gain weight faster compared to traditional farming methods.
“After three months of raising pigs with biological bedding, our family sold two pigs and earned 7 million VND. We plan to use that money to buy a few more piglets to expand the scale and increase our income,” he shared.
Thorough Evaluation Before Scaling Up
Also benefiting from the use of biological bedding in pig farming, Mr. A Ngút’s family (from Kon Vơng Kia village) shared that in the past, they raised pigs using traditional methods, which caused serious environmental pollution.
“Even we couldn’t bear the stench when approaching the pigsty,” he recalled.
Moreover, the pigs had to lie directly on muddy ground, and as soon as the cold weather arrived, they were highly susceptible to illness. Now, thanks to the biological bedding, the pigs sleep on a warm and clean surface, and despite the region’s year-round cold climate, the family no longer worries.
Kon Plông District Agricultural Service Center guides local people in preparing biological bedding. Photo: Tuấn Anh.
Regarding feed, the family is now making full use of agricultural by-products such as bananas, corn, and vegetables, which are fermented with probiotics to feed the pigs.
In the past, they had to cook bran twice a day, which was time-consuming and costly.
“Raising pigs on biological bedding is much easier. The pigs grow faster, have shinier coats, and bring in higher economic value than before,” Mr. A Ngút shared.
According to assessments by the Kon Plông District Agricultural Service Center, after applying biological bedding, pigsties in local households have become very clean and odor-free. Most notably, the pigs are healthier, productivity is higher, and selling prices have improved.
Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thức, Deputy Director of the Kon Plông District Agricultural Service Center, said that implementing the biological bedding pig farming model faced many challenges at the beginning—especially in persuading ethnic minority households to participate.
“At first, people were hesitant to change and skeptical of this new farming method,” she explained.
However, after the center’s staff visited the households directly to provide hands-on guidance on building pig pens and preparing probiotic-fermented feed, local residents gradually became more enthusiastic and willing to adopt the model.
“The biological bedding pig farming model requires low investment,” Ms. Thức added.
“Farmers can use locally available by-products like rice husks and sawdust for bedding, and rice bran, molasses, and probiotics for effective feed preparation.”
The biosecure pig farming model helps reduce feed costs by utilizing locally available agricultural by-products. Photo: Tuấn Anh.
Ms. Thức also emphasized that in the coming period, the Kon Plông District Agricultural Service Center will advise the District People’s Committee to develop a plan to scale up the biosecure pig farming model using biological bedding across all villages and communes in the district. Priority will be given to areas with high populations of ethnic minorities, high poverty rates, and limited sanitation conditions in livestock housing. The district plans to provide technical support and materials, along with regular training courses on feed fermentation and microbial sanitation practices.
Mr. Ưng Văn Thanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture under the Kon Tum Department of Agriculture and Environment, stressed that although the model of raising pigs on biological bedding is not new, this is the first time it has been implemented in ethnic minority areas.
In particular, in cold-climate regions like Kon Plông District, the model is highly suitable, as it helps keep pigs warm effectively and increases their economic value.
By Tuấn Anh and Đăng Lâm