International Journal of Poultry Science 6 (10): 709-712, 2007 ISSN 1682-8356 © Asian Network for Scientific Information, 2007 709 Characterization of Poultry Production Systems in Vietnam S. Burgos , P.T. Hong Hanh , D. Roland-Holst and S.A. Burgos 1,5 2 3 4 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, AGAL-PPLPI, Rome, Italy 1 Department of Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hanoi, Vietnam 2 Rural Development Research Consortium, University of California-Berkeley, USA 3 Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada 4 Abstract: Poultry raising in Vietnam is widespread and common to smallholder farmers that keep chickens and ducks as a source of cheap animal protein and to derive income from the sale of eggs, meat and live birds. Three systems of poultry production are described: 1) traditional, extensive backyard/household poultry production, 2) semi-intensive, small to medium scale, market-oriented, commercial poultry production and 3) intensive, large scale, industrial poultry production. Key words: Poultry production systems, Vietnam, chickens, ducks Introduction In Vietnam, poultry are geographically concentrated near urban centres, with low density of bird populations within households. Chickens and ducks are the dominant species raised across the country and commercial operations are nearly all located in the periphery of large urban areas, such as Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. The two large delta regions-Red River in the North and Mekong River in the South-are major poultry producing areas (VGSO, 2004; Hong Hanh et al., 2007). Poultry has an important role in maintaining social relations, cultural traditions, religious events, wellbeing of children (poultry derived income is often spent on food, medicine, clothes, education) and women’s economic empowerment and sense of ownership. Definition, characterization and structure: While there are various classifications of poultry production systems based primarily on scale, official classification criteria have not been established by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) of Vietnam. For explanatory ease and based on previously published work, we propose three systems of poultry production: (1) traditional, extensive backyard/household poultry production (2) semi-intensive, small to medium scale, market-oriented, commercial poultry production and (3) intensive, large scale, industrial poultry production. Traditional, extensive backyard/household poultry production: This production system is by far the most common production system in Vietnam, where poultry is raised in backyards, gardens, courtyards, orchards and often free to range on neighbouring land. This system is considered to be small scale, with flock size <50 birds which derive large part of their diet from free range scavenging. Birds are also given some locally available feeds and supplemented with limited amounts of home produced grains such as paddy rice or maize and kitchen waste. The amount of feed given to birds does not focus on production efficiency but depends heavily on the availability of grains that farmers have in storage for personal consumption, as seeds for next planting season and eating needs of their livestock. Chick replacements are generally hatched from own-stock eggs, but sometimes farmers buy replacements from local markets, neighbours and/or traders to complement their flocks. Most small and medium-scale farmers keep poultry all year round and sell their animal assets as need arises. Usually, poultry-derived income is destined to buy clothes, pay for children education and purchase food (VGSO, 2004). In 2005, approximately 8 million households engaged in traditional extensive poultry production, with an average flock size of ~32 birds, representing about 94% of all poultry producers. Since it is considered a sideline activity, attention to bird safety and health is limited and mortalities can be high: in bad weather conditions as high as 40 to 50% (VGSO, 2004). The most popular local breeds Ri, Mia, Dong Tao and Ho are raised in the North and Ta Vang (or Tau Vang) in the South. These local breeds are of low productivity in comparison to foreign- imported breeds but have characteristic yellow-orange feathering and dark skin colour features that are favoured by consumers in both rural and urban areas, particularly for traditional festivals, family gifts, marriages and for religious offerings (Hong Hanh et al., 2007). Semi-intensive, small to medium, market-oriented, commercial poultry production: This production system has larger scales and somewhat higher rates of commercialization than the previously described system and can follow some practices of the agricultural sectors of industrialized countries. This production system represents a transition stage between traditional and