Right beneath the rice fields during harvest season, flocks of thousands of ducks are released closely alongside the workers, ready to “run to where the rice is cut.”
Everything is still going on as usual, as if the avian flu pandemic is not looming…
Vaccination: Some Have, Some Haven’t
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Ducks follow the rice as it is cut |
On the afternoon of October 31, standing on the Thanh Binh – Tam Nong road in Dong Thap Muoi, we saw the flock of ducks pecking the ground for fallen rice on the freshly cut fields. Ducks were running across the fields. Almost every field was the same; workers gathered the rice in front, while the ducks scurried behind. On the banks, duck owners were watching over them. When the ducks were full, they would herd them back to a nearby pond for a bath.
Mr. Le Van Ut, a duck owner in Tan Phu commune (Thanh Binh district, Dong Thap), shared that every year, it is essential to time the duck release with the rice harvest. Those with sufficient capital release 2,000-3,000 ducks, while the minimum is 400-500, averaging around 1,000 ducks per owner. Currently, about 20 duck owners are releasing their flocks across the fields, stretching from Tan Phu to Tan My, Binh Tan… When asked, “Have you vaccinated your ducks against avian flu yet?” Mr. Ut casually replied: “Not yet. I’ve never seen any ducks get sick. Last week, I heard the local veterinary department asking for registrations for vaccination, but after signing up, no one has come to vaccinate yet…”
In Tan Ho Co commune (Tan Hong district, Dong Thap), the activity of running ducks is even more vibrant due to the vast fields and the ongoing rice harvest. There are so many ducks that they need to be transported by boat. Mr. Tran Van Thuong, a duck owner from Cai Be (Tien Giang), said: “My flock has 4,000 ducks; I just transported them by boat this morning. The delay was because we were waiting for the veterinary team to finish vaccinating before we could leave.”
Meanwhile, other duck owners mentioned that they hadn’t vaccinated yet, but some said that the district veterinary department promised to come for vaccinations in a couple of days. Mr. Nguyen Huu Danh, a local duck owner, indicated that he had reported to the Tan Hong district veterinary station five days ago, and they said “there is a shortage of vaccines, waiting for the province to supply them.” This year, there are more ducks in Tan Ho Co commune than last year, estimated at about 400,000, including ducks from the provinces of Tien Giang, Vinh Long, and An Giang. Everyone releases flocks of 3,000-4,000 ducks.
A veterinary officer from Tan Hong district stated that the district has been implementing avian flu vaccinations for the past ten days. However, they are currently short about 200,000 doses of vaccine and must pause until more supplies arrive. According to Mr. Vo Be Hien, head of the Veterinary Department of Dong Thap province, the province is still short about 4 million doses of avian flu vaccine and is urging the central government for supplies, but the response is… “not available yet.” Meanwhile, the number of ducks continues to increase… in the fields, and if the vaccines arrive late, it may be too late.
In the deep regions of Dong Thap Muoi, the fields of Tan Hung and Vinh Hung (Long An) are also in the harvest season. And the ducks continue to flood the fields. It is hard to tell among the tens of thousands of ducks which ones have been vaccinated and which have not.
The Concerns of Duck Farmers
Mr. Danh, a duck owner in Dong Thap Muoi, told us: “This year, the duck farming profession is quite sour. The flu outbreak has reemerged, causing egg prices to plummet. A few months ago, the price was 1,000-1,050 VND per egg, and now it has dropped to just 800-850 VND. Meanwhile, the cost of raising ducks continues to rise.”
Mr. Danh further explained that a duck owner running their flock usually brings along 4-5 people, including spouses or children, to help watch over, prepare meals, and do laundry. At night, the whole family, including the ducks, sleeps together in the fields. Each stint usually lasts 2-3 months, from the time they start laying eggs to when they are sold for meat. Raising ducks is considered a genuine profession for landless residents; therefore, if they abandon this profession, they would not know what else to do.
DUONG THE HUNG
