Poultry farmers expect year-end crop

In recent months, prices of both industrial and native chicken have remained steadily high, allowing poultry farmers to earn solid profits. Currently, native chicken farmers are entering a new production cycle to supply the market for the 2026 Binh Ngo Lunar New Year, with high hopes for strong prices and good yields.

Native chicken breeds are in high demand, with rising prices. In the photo: A hatchery supplying chicken breeds in Xuan Hoa commune, Dong Nai province. Photo: B.Nguyen

Chicken is a key livestock product in Dong Nai province, making a significant contribution to the overall development of the local livestock sector. In addition to industrial chicken farming, free-range native chicken production is also undergoing a strong shift from small-scale household operations to farm-based or chain-linked models aimed at enhancing competitiveness.

High prices, strong demand

In recent months, the price of industrial chicken has been very high, ranging from 36-38 thousand VND/kg; native chicken raised in industrial style is priced from 55-65 thousand VND/kg; free-range native chicken is priced from 100-110 thousand VND/kg. With these prices, both industrial and free-range native chicken farmers are making good profits to reinvest.

Nguyen Phuc Dai, owner of a chicken farm in Phu Hoa commune (Dong Nai province), said that since the beginning of the year, prices of free-range native chicken have remained high, bringing solid profits to farmers. With growing market demand for this product, many local farming operations have invested in new facilities to expand production. Free-range native chicken is the primary livestock product of Phu Hoa commune and represents a farming model that delivers high economic efficiency for the locality.

The rainy season has brought weather conditions that are unfavorable for the health of livestock and poultry. In response, farmers are advised to implement effective vaccination programs and adopt biosecure farming practices to boost animal immunity, prevent disease outbreaks, and ensure a stable supply for the 2026 Binh Ngo Lunar New Year market.

NGUYEN TRUONG GIANG, Head of the Sub-department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries

After the merger, Dong Nai province became the “capital” of poultry farming in the country, with a total flock of about 36.5 million heads, with nearly 33 million chickens. Meanwhile, large-scale industrial chicken farming in automatic and semi-automatic cold barns also accounts for a large proportion.

Le Van Quyet, Vice Chairman of the Southeast Poultry Association, said that Dong Nai is among the leading provinces in chicken farming nationwide. Chicken meat produced in the province not only serves the domestic market but is also exported to demanding markets such as Japan. In recent times, the price of industrial chicken has remained consistently high due to growing market demand and a decline in supply. One contributing factor is that, since the COVID-19 pandemic, some supply chains have been disrupted, and imports of breeding chickens into Vietnam have faced difficulties.

Poultry farming in general, and chicken farming in particular, is gradually shifting toward industrial production models. Even household-scale native chicken farming is evolving into chain-linked systems with standardized processes that ensure biosecurity, aiming to enhance market competitiveness.

Expectations for the new season

Currently, chicken farms are preparing for the new farming season to supply the Lunar New Year of Binh Ngo 2026 market. Some facilities are also increasing their flocks, predicting that this product will continue to have high prices during Tet.

Accordingly, the price of native chicken breeds is also increasing. Currently, breeding chickens supplied by farms are priced from 16-18 thousand VND/head, about 4 thousand VND/head higher than a month ago.

According to Dai, owner of a native chicken farm in Phu Hoa commune, a locality known for the tau dat chicken breed (also called tau vang, a native Vietnamese variety), industrial-style native chickens typically reach market weight in about three months. However, with this particular breed, farmers usually raise only two flocks per year. The farms are built under tree canopies with ample space for the chickens to move freely. Notably, the crop intended for the Lunar New Year market often involves raising capon chickens, a seasonal specialty that sees strong demand during Tet.

Phan Dang Chanh, owner of Long Khanh poultry farm in Xuan Lap ward (Dong Nai province), has partnered with several members to develop a chain-linked model for raising herbal-fed bantam chickens. The chicken feed is mixed with various herbs to boost the animals’ immunity and produce meat that is more flavorful and nutritious than that from conventional farming methods.

This herbal bantam chicken farming chain has been developed as a closed-loop system, from self-producing breeding stock and linking farms to distributing a range of products to the market, including herbal bantam chicken meat, herbal bantam eggs, and herbal-fed capon chicken. With growing market demand, the farm plans to continue expanding its scale, as this livestock model delivers high economic returns.

Nguyen Truong Giang, Head of the Sub-department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries under the Department of Agriculture and Environment, remarked that following the administrative merger, Dong Nai enjoys favorable conditions, such as climate, abundant land resources, and a strategic location connected to densely populated consumer markets, making it well-positioned for livestock development.

For the livestock industry in general and chicken farming in particular to develop sustainably, it is necessary to apply advanced technology from breeding to farming processes. Farming must follow chain-link models to help reduce costs and stabilize production. Currently, there are 2 enterprises in Dong Nai investing in processing and exporting chicken meat. To boost chicken exports, livestock farms need to apply scientific advances and biosecure farming to meet export standards.

By Binh Nguyen – Translated by Minh Hanh, Minho