Raising salanganes nests feasible
People once thought that salanganes only build nests on islands, or on steep cliffs. However, according to Le Danh Hoang, Director of Eka Vietnam, salanganes do not necessarily fly far away to seek food; they can build nests indoors and live in flocks right on the mainland.
Eka Vietnam has been successful with its project to raise salanganes. It has many houses for raising salanganes located in the central and southern regions.
At first, Eka Vietnam discovered that salanganes had made nests inside the Hoa Binh theatre in October 2005. Its leaders, Le Danh Hien and Le Danh Hoang, later decided to lease a house next to the theatre, to which they lured salanganes to make nests in.
Encouraged by the initial success, Eka Vietnam decided to raise salanganes in many other places in many cities and provinces, including Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Dong Nai and HCM City. The total investment capital for raising salanganes has reached VND3bil ($187,500).
Mr Hoang related that when he was studying at university, he met E. Nugroho, an Indonesian doctor, who came to Vietnam to market the materials for raising salanaganes indoors. Mr Hoang was taught how to raise salanganes and learned many experiences from his teachers, Mr Nugroho and Mr When Drato.
Raising salanganes is a unique career in Vietnam. Until Eka Vietnam was established, no one knew how to raise them. Eka Vietnam has become well known nationwide. It also provides information, consultancy packages, materials and documents relating to salangane raising and nest processing.
Mr Hoang stressed that salangane nests is a very promising industry. Eka has a house near Go Cong market in Tien Giang province, where 1,000 salanganes make nests. On average, these 1,000 birds make 400 nests every season: i.e the owner can get 4kg of salangane nests and he can earn VND100mil ($6,250) (the average price is VND25mil/kg).
Time to raise salanganes approaching
Mr Hoang and Mr Hien dream that raising salanganes will become a profitable industry in Vietnam like in other countries in the region. However, it remains unclear when their dream might become true.
Many of Eka’s clients have been taught how to lure and breed salanganes. They have decided to invest in raising salanganes; however, none of them have been successful.
Eka Vietnam has been the only successful salangane breeder in Vietnam. Most recently, Eka Vietnam decided to inject money in a project on incubating and raising birds in big quantities in Nha Trang City in the central province of Khanh Hoa.
Mr Hien and Mr Hoang still want the salangane raising to develop. They try to transfer technology to those who are interested in raising salanganes, give advice and provide materials.
Mr Hoang said that many regional countries can raise salanganes indoors, including Indonesia with 200,000 houses for salanganes, Malaysia and Thailand (5,000 houses), India and Sri Lanka.
Mr Hoang and Mr Hien have drawn a distribution map of salanganes. In the past, people thought that salanganes could be found in Khanh Hoa only. However, the two have pointed out that Tien Giang province in the south is the location where most salanganes are living.
Information related to salanganes and salangane raising can be found at Mr Hien and Mr Hoang’s website http://www.ekavietnam.com/.
Dang Vy
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