Is bamboo rat farming a path to wealth or a scam?

As for the currently popular bamboo rat farming, some have accepted it and started farming, some are watching and waiting, and some have been cheated and call it a scam.

Leaving other things aside for now, let's start with the history of eating bamboo rat meat.In the Zhou Dynasty, bamboo rat meat was regarded as a top-grade meat. The Gongshi Dafu records: only dukes, ministers, and senior officials of three ding or above could eat bamboo rat meat. In the Tang Dynasty, the Chaoye Qianzai states: the Liao people of Lingnan loved to eat qingzi rats. People in the Lingnan area of Guangdong liked to eat bamboo rat meat, and Guangdong has retained this preference to this day. Qing Dynasty historical records state: "Rat jerky is a fine delicacy; roasted into jerky, it is used to entertain guests. If a banquet lacks it, it is not considered respectful."Chinese archaeologists unearthed many jars of sealed rodent jerky from the Han Dynasty Mawangdui tomb, showing that bamboo rat meat had already become a favorite delicacy of the imperial class at that time. Whether Lingnan or Mawangdui, both belong to the south. Today, Hunan, Guangdong, and other places all have a thriving bamboo rat farming industry, which may be a kind of inheritance. The Gongcheng bamboo rat of Guilin, Guangxi, successfully obtained the national agricultural product geographical indication. Geographical indication products are a special commodity recognized by the state and possess distinct regional characteristics.

From a medicinal perspective, Li Shizhen's Bencao Gangmu of the Ming Dynasty records: "Bamboo rat meat is sweet, neutral, and non-toxic; it tonifies the center and boosts qi, and resolves toxins"; "The bamboo rat is as large as a rabbit; its meat is sweet, neutral, and non-toxic. Many people eat it"; "The bamboo rat regulates menstruation, protects hair, nourishes blood, boosts qi, nourishes yin and strengthens yang, and reduces swelling and toxins," among other special curative effects. According to Guangxi Medicinal Animals: "Deep-fry bamboo rat teeth, grind them into powder, take 0.3-0.6 grams each time, and swallow with boiled water; it can treat tetanus in children." According to the Chinese Medicinal Animal Compendium: "Bamboo rat fat can prevent mosquito bites, treat burns, scalds, unnamed swellings and toxins, and serve cosmetic purposes; bamboo rat blood has a unique effect in treating asthma, and bile dropped into the ear treats deafness."

Therefore, whether from the perspective of food or medicine, the bamboo rat has usable value, so bamboo rat farming is a path to wealth.

So why do some people say bamboo rat farming is a hoax or a scam? One reason is that bamboo rat farming only began to rise in the 1990s; before that, people ate wild bamboo rats, and few knew about artificial bamboo rat farming. The second reason is information asymmetry. After the bamboo rat farming project was reported by the media, many people invested blindly without actually understanding the situation or seriously learning farming techniques, and ended up failing. All investment carries risk; entering the industry requires caution. The third reason is seed speculation. Of course, this also exploits information asymmetry: when potential farmers do not understand the situation, profits are exaggerated, the price of bamboo rat breeding stock is driven up, and when commercial bamboo rats are ready for market, they cannot be sold at the expected price, so the investment in buying breeding stock exceeds the output from selling bamboo rats, causing a loss. The fourth reason is small farming scale combined with the desire for quick, large profits. Many farmers who clear out their operations are raising only a few dozen animals, and they have given up all other work to devote themselves entirely to these few dozen bamboo rats. Bamboo rat farming requires a process; without techniques, the difficulties only increase. Add to that giving up work and losing a source of income, and the pressure is imaginable. If one or two die, it hurts terribly. There is no way around it; a few dozen animals ultimately cannot make you rich. So they clear out the operation, then go find a job and work for someone else. Then they tell everyone they meet that farming bamboo rats does not make money.

Bamboo rat farming can make you rich, but before entering the industry you need a full understanding of bamboo rat farming, sales, and profits, and you need to make a good plan. Only then can bamboo rat farming proceed smoothly and make you rich.