Phung Hiep families get support to raise civets and new income

As part of the National Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction, Phung Hiep commune in Can Tho City is launching a 2026 project to help diversify livelihoods through civet breeding. The project is expected to provide poor, near-poor and recently escaped-poverty households with an additional livelihood and help them build more sustainable incomes. These households will receive two breeding pairs of civets and training in animal care, disease prevention and breeding techniques. The project also aims to establish farmer groups and cooperative groups, while gradually building market linkages.

Breeding stock opens up new livelihoods

Mrs Huynh Thi Hong Trang’s family in Hamlet 5, Phung Hiep commune had already raised civets before joining the project. After seeing how a relative was raising civets, she and her husband decided to learn more and give it a try themselves. Previously, the family made a living mainly from their garden and about six cong (1 cong = 1000 sq m) of sugarcane, while her husband had also worked in Ho Chi Minh City. They initially invested more than VND 200 million in 18 civets.

After several years, the civets have become a significant source of income for the family. Trang said they can now sell around 20-30 breeding civets each month. In recent years, the family has earned around VND 300-500 million a year, more than they previously earned from growing sugarcane. ‘Our family used to struggle financially. Since we switched to raising civets, our income has become more stable,’ she claimed.

Trang says civets are relatively easy to raise and can be fed with readily available foods such as bananas and fish. However, farmers need to pay close attention to mating and housing conditions, as civets are sensitive to changes in their environment. to farmers who are new to civet raising and helps them with paperwork related to the origin of breeding stock.

A new way to earn, a new path out of poverty

For Mr Nguyen Van Trieu of Hoa My hamlet, Phung Hiep, the four breeding civets he received through the government support program offer his family a new opportunity to improve their economic prospects. 

Previously, his family was classified as poor and had no farmland, so they mainly relied on odd jobs, such as loading rice, construction work and buying and selling coconuts to make ends meet. He still takes on odd jobs for income, but the breeding civets give his family another source of earnings. Trieu said his family received two pairs of breeding civets worth around VND 20 million. After some time, the civets have settled in well. They require a simple diet and are relatively easy to raise.

“I’m very happy to receive this support. For now, I’ll try my best to cover our living expenses. If we have the means later, I hope to increase the number we raise,” Mr Trieu said.

Trieu said he would like to take out a loan to expand his civet-raising and increase the size of his herd. With limited farmland, he believes civet raising is a good fit for his family. 

The 2026 livelihood diversification project in Phung Hiep commune has a total budget of more than VND 781.5 million. Of this, VND 760 million is allocated for breeding civets, VND 7.5 million for technical support, VND 10 million for project management, and VND 4 million set aside for unexpected expenses. The project will be implemented in nine hamlets and provide a total of 152 breeding civets.

Mr Le An Quoc, chairman of Phung Hiep Commune People’s Committee, said the project is one of two poverty reduction projects which target poor households, near-poor households and households that have moved out of poverty within the past 36 months.

Mr Quoc said civets are a relatively high-value livestock and can be raised using readily available food sources, making them a good option for many families. 

Once they receive the breeding stock, participating families are expected to build up their herds. In the longer term, the commune will continue working with the breeding stock supplier to provide technical support and help farmers find bigger markets. 

The project therefore goes beyond providing breeding stock. It also aims to encourage a more self-reliant approach to farming, enabling low-income people to improve their incomes using their own resources. The local authorities hope the model will be widely adopted and benefit more families over time.

Because civets are classified as wild animals, farmers are required to comply with regulations on their keeping, origin and care, as required by the authorities. Civet-raising is expected to offer a new source of income for people in Phung Hiep. It gives local residents more opportunities to build their own livelihoods, gradually increase their incomes and improve their living standards.