Farming systems of Thai My Village, Saigon River Delta, with special emphasis on the role of cattle and buffalo

Thai My village is in the Saigon River Delta, a lowland area similar in many respects to the Mekong River Delta 100 km further south. Cropping systems were dominated by rice production although multiple cropping was somewhat limited by unsuitable soils. Peanuts, vegetables and sugarcane, to a lesser extent, were the next most frequent crops. A sample of 210 farmers reared a total of 333 buffalo and 135 cattle. Feeds included grasses, weeds and conserved rice straw and peanut vines, with occasional supplementation. Feeding systems included a mixture of tethered and herded grazing and cut-and-carry. Large ruminants were important for draught animal power, a store of capital and intermittent income. Farmers mentioned few technical problems in managing their animals but were concerned about the profitability of buffalo and cattle production.