Leveraging advantages of swiftlet farming

Following the merger, Dong Nai province now has approximately 3,000 bird’s nest farms (swiftlet nests), which produce around 56 tons of raw bird’s nests annually, with a total value of roughly 1.12 trillion VND. This initiative is among the most economically efficient models in the province.

Thien Hung commune's bird's nest product booth participates in the Dong Nai Province Agricultural Achievement Exhibition 2025. Photo: B.Nguyen

Following the merger, Dong Nai province now has a large land reserve and favorable environmental conditions for further development of the bird’s nest farming industry. Notably, many businesses and farming facilities in the province have standardized their farming processes, invested in processing and manufacturing facilities, and developed branding to ensure that Dong Nai bird’s nest products gain recognition not only in the domestic market but also expand their reach in export markets.

Highly efficient economic model

According to statistics from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), as of October 2025, the country had nearly 29,300 bird’s nest farms, with an estimated output of around 270 tons of raw bird’s nests. Swiftlet populations have been recorded in 23 out of 34 provinces and cities. From 2021 to 2025, the bird’s nest farming industry maintained an average annual growth rate of 6 percent. Swiftlets contribute to balancing the natural ecosystem, eliminating harmful insects, and protecting crops. As such, bird’s nest farming not only provides economic value and livelihoods for local communities but also carries significant ecological importance.

The potential of the bird’s nest farming industry remains substantial, as Vietnam has officially begun exporting both clean and raw bird’s nests to the Chinese market. In this context, the industry has gradually become more professionalized, with full compliance to regulations on quarantine, veterinary hygiene, traceability, and related standards.

Following the provincial merger, Dong Nai now has a large land reserve. He ranks among the leading localities nationwide in terms of area for industrial crops, fruit trees, and large pond systems,  with favorable environmental conditions that attract swiftlets to nest, grow, and thrive. As a result, the bird’s nest farming industry has expanded rapidly across the province, contributing to economic development in many localities.

Nguyen Truong Giang, Head of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (under the Dong Nai Department of Agriculture and Environment), noted that following the merger, the province now has more than 3,000 bird’s nest farms, ranking among the leading localities in the Southeast region for bird’s nest farming. The Department places strong emphasis on veterinary hygiene inspections and disease safety at bird’s nest farming facilities. Local authorities are also actively working to create favorable conditions for bird’s nest farms to fully comply with regulations on quarantine requirements, inspections, and veterinary hygiene for both raw and clean bird’s nest, as well as regulations on traceability and farming and harvesting processes. The goal is to enable the industry to participate in export markets and generate high economic value.

Building Dong Nai bird's nest brand

To build a brand in the domestic market and effectively participate in the export market, bird’s nest farms in the province have gradually become more professionalized. Many facilities and businesses have started forming value chains that connect production with preliminary processing, processing, and distribution. At the same time, production facilities have focused on developing product labels, trademarks, and brand identities based on quality and reputation, with the shared goal of helping Dong Nai bird’s nest products expand their presence in both domestic and export markets.

Nguyen Minh Nhat, Director of Nhat Tien Bird’s Nest One Member Co., Ltd (head office in Binh Phuoc ward), shared that the company has partnered with 10 bird’s nest farms and invested in a processing facility offering a wide range of products to the market, including raw bird’s nest, refined bird’s nests, jarred bird’s nests, and specialized processed products such as bird’s nest flan and freeze-dried bird’s nest yogurt. The company's products were certified as 4-star OCOP in 2024.

The company processes its products according to procedures that ensure food safety, with traceable origins, and compliance with the strict requirements of export markets. The locality has attracted numerous establishments to invest in swiftlet farming, with a processing plant capable of handling up to 4,000 tons of bird’s nests annually. The company is actively seeking partners to promote exports. Once engaged in the export market, it plans to expand its bird’s nest farming and processing chain in a sustainable direction.

The former Binh Phuoc province has significant potential for developing the bird’s nest farming industry. I hope that following the merger, the provincial government will continue to provide support and create favorable conditions for the early establishment of a Bird's Nest Association, thereby bringing together knowledge, fostering collaboration, and promoting the sharing of experiences and resources to support the sustainable development of the bird’s nest farming industry in the province.

NGUYEN THI HONG NHUNG, Vice President of the Dong Nai Cooperative Alliance

Sharing the same aspiration, Giang Dinh Thin, representative of Giang Hoang Yen Bird’s Nest Co., Ltd. (Phu Vinh Commune), said that dozens of households in the commune are currently investing in swiftlet farming, creating an abundant supply of bird’s nest products. The company has signed contracts to purchase bird’s nests from farmers with large output. Currently, it supplies the market with hundreds of kilograms of bird’s nests annually. The company hopes to be supported in participating in more networking activities to boost bird’s nest exports, particularly to China's major consumer market.

By Binh Nguyen – Translated by Quoc Dung, Minho