Mr. Son: People are excited about the new job.

(Baonghean) - The concern for finding ways to develop the economy and increase farmers' income has always been a priority in the tasks of the Party Committee and local authorities in Anh Son district. The people are delighted with the introduction of new crops, livestock, and occupations, opening up many new hopes.

The Dao Lam alluvial plain, with over 50 hectares of sandy land, is the production area for more than 100 households in Dinh Son commune. However, due to various changes caused by flooding and erosion, the soil in this area has become depleted. Faced with this reality, the District Agricultural Department and Dinh Son commune have experimented with various crops such as sesame, peanuts, and beans to increase value, but without success. Then, in early 2014, the Japanese sweet potato variety was introduced, bringing new hope.

Mr. Than's family mushroom farming model in Hamlet 4, Dinh Son Commune.

Japanese sweet potatoes quickly take root and grow lushly, with an expected yield of 12-15 tons/ha. Japanese sweet potatoes are recommended for sandy soil, with a growth period of 5-6 months. If successful, they can yield 7-8 tons, generating nearly 64 million VND in revenue at current prices. To support farmers in cultivating this crop, the Anh Son District Vocational Training Center, in coordination with Dinh Son commune, organizes training sessions on scientific and technical transfer. The Farmers' Association, the Women's Union, and village officials directly guide farmers in planting and caring for Japanese sweet potatoes according to proper procedures. The Vocational Training Center also assigns 2-3 teachers to regularly visit the fields and promptly address farmers' concerns. Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune, shared: "With the advantages of Japanese sweet potatoes, the people and the local government are very enthusiastic about implementing this project. After monitoring, the plants are developing healthily, and we hope to succeed and expand it to a wider area. In addition, many households have boldly introduced mushroom cultivation hoping to increase their family income…"

Following an introduction from the Chairman of the People's Committee of Dinh Son commune, we visited the mushroom cultivation model of Mr. Nguyen Van Than's family in Hamlet 4. This year, although both he and his wife are over 60 years old, they are still enthusiastically "learning from masters," cultivating oyster mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms. To date, his family has over 10,000 bags of wood ear mushrooms and 2,000 bags of oyster mushrooms. They estimate they will earn 50-60 million VND by the end of 2014. To solidify their mushroom cultivation business, at the beginning of this year, Mr. Than traveled 10km three times a week to Hamlet 3, Hoa Son commune, to attend mushroom and wood ear mushroom cultivation classes. He excitedly said: "Seeing Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa's family in Hamlet 3, Hoa Son commune, successfully cultivating mushrooms – harvesting 200kg of oyster mushrooms in 4 months for 7 million VND and wood ear mushrooms for 17 million VND – I decided to learn and do it myself. My family expects to harvest about 30 million VND worth of mushrooms before Tet (Lunar New Year)..."

In Hamlet 5, Hoa Son Commune, the commune has collaborated with businesses to organize a mushroom cultivation training course for dozens of households in the hamlet and neighboring hamlets. Mr. Nguyen Van Minh, Head of the Hamlet's Front Committee and head of the mushroom cultivation training course, said: “Here, some households lack the resources to cultivate mushrooms independently, so they form groups of 2-3 households to work together. Based on successful models in the commune and neighboring communes, many families are determined to grow mushrooms to increase their income. To date, the households that attended the training have brought the mushroom spawn back to production, and it has begun to sprout, promising success. We hope that businesses will connect with us to help ensure stable product consumption, so that people can feel secure in this new profession…” Currently, many other localities are also adopting mushroom cultivation with large-scale models in Phuc Son and Cao Son communes…

One of the boldest models in Anh Son district is that of Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen's family in Hamlet 1, Tuong Son commune, who dared to raise Dong Tao chickens in the area. With 450 Dong Tao chicks, after a period of raising them, Ms. Huyen earned 60 million VND from selling chicken meat and eggs, and currently has 150 chicks remaining in her coop. This bold approach has significantly increased Ms. Huyen's family income and encouraged many other households to change their mindset and practices. Recognizing this positive change, the Department of Agriculture and the Vocational Training Center of Anh Son district are working closely with communes to develop plans and actively transfer new farming and livestock techniques to farmers. Mr. Nguyen Cong The, Head of the District's Agriculture Department, said: "During the implementation of production and livestock support programs in the communes, we have seen that people are very enthusiastic about having new occupations. This acts as a driving force to promote economic development, increase income, and achieve sustainable poverty alleviation in the localities..."

Sy Thuan