Farmer Says Mozart Makes For Fatter Pigs

A Vietnamese pig farmer says he has found the secret to boosting productivity - by exposing his 3,000 hogs to the melodies of Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert while they have their snouts in the trough.

Nguyen Chi Cong says he started playing recordings of classical symphonies over loudspeakers six years ago for the benefit of his workers, but he found that the music also had a soothing effect on the pigs.

"I saw that my pigs started eating more and that they were gaining weight faster than usual", says Cong in an interview. Cong says he now blasts his animals with the tunes twice everyday. "I think I am the first farmer in Vietnam to apply this technique", he says.

Cong, who has run a farm for nearly 22 years, says his unusual method has stirred much interest in the region.

"Local farmers come here to learn from my experience", he said. "I think that music is good not just for pigs but also for other domestic animals".

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