Raising 7,000 laying hens, farmer faces daily losses of USD 77

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Nguyen Chi Phuong, born in 1984 and living in Tam Hong township, Yen Lac district, Vinh Phuc province, in Vietnam said that after more than nine years in poultry farming, this is the first time he has experienced such heavy losses—despite increasing his flock.

His family is currently raising 7,000 laying hens, producing around 5,000 eggs per day. At current market prices, he is losing USD 0.012-0.015 per egg, amounting to nearly USD 77.03 in losses every day.

Nguyen Chi Phuong. Photo: Nongnghiepmoitruong.

To address the situation, Mr Phuong has built three chicken coops, one of which raises hens using a self-made herbal feed blend, including dried fish, mugwort, and sun-dried greens. This coop produces around 1,000–1,200 organic eggs daily, which sell at a higher price—around USD 0.15 per egg.

However, selling clean eggs remains challenging, as supermarkets require quality certifications. For now, he can only sell directly to local consumers.

Mr Phuong noted that egg prices began their steep decline in late 2024 and have yet to show signs of recovery. Farmers are increasingly concerned that prices may fall even further.

Stronger production linkages needed to reduce risks

Vu Hoang Lan, Head of the Animal Husbandry and Aquaculture Division at the Vinh Phuc Agricultural Extension Center, said the province currently has over 12 million poultry. For the past year, both egg and meat prices have remained below production costs, causing many households to suffer financial losses.

In addition to market factors, even small-scale disease outbreaks have had a significant impact on production. Mr Lan advises farmers to adopt biosecure farming practices to reduce the risk of disease and to strengthen distribution partnerships for better product consumption.

Applying standards such as VietGAP or switching to organic farming, he said, would help improve quality, increase access to high-end markets, and achieve better selling prices.

Currently, the Agricultural Extension Center is supporting farmers in using biological products to reduce environmental pollution, protect the farming ecosystem, and develop VietGAP-certified models. These initiatives are aimed at enhancing product value and improving farmers’ incomes.