The main crop in Cam Hoa

(Baonghean) - We had to cross several tea hills before we could meet Mr. Lang Thai Hoa - Secretary of the Party Branch of Cam Hoa village (Cam Son, Anh Son) - who was harvesting tea buds with his family members.

Putting aside his work for a moment, Mr. Hoa took the opportunity to chat. He said, "For about six years now, tea has become the main crop in Cam Hoa, helping our people overcome poverty and change their lives. Because tea has provided the villagers with enough food and clothing, allowed them to build houses, and enabled their children to receive a proper education..."

The people of Cam Hoa village harvest tea using machines.

Cam Hoa village is located on the left bank of the Lam River, home to nearly 140 households, the majority of whom are ethnic Thai people. Previously, this village was one of the poorest in the district, as its income depended entirely on corn and rice cultivation. Almost every year, during the flood season, the fields and riverbanks would be submerged, resulting in total crop losses and precarious living conditions. In 2005, Cam Hoa was selected as a pilot project for tea cultivation on hillside land, with six households participating. The pilot model proved effective, and by 2008, it was widely implemented, with over 110 households participating. The flat, overgrown hills were replaced by the lush green of tea plants. A few years later, when the tea began to yield harvests, the lives of the people of Cam Hoa began to change and improve.

Currently, the total tea cultivation area in Cam Hoa village is over 92 hectares, with an expected increase of 15 hectares by the end of 2014. According to Mr. Lang Thai Hoa, the village is striving to have an average of 1 hectare of tea per household by 2020. For the people here, tea cultivation has truly become the main source of income in recent years. The highest-earning households make approximately 20 million VND per month, while the lowest earners are at least 4-5 million VND. In 2013 alone, Cam Hoa village earned about 1.8 billion VND from tea. Thanks to tea cultivation, the number of well-off households in the village is increasing, while the number of poor households is decreasing. To date, the village has 21 households with a relatively high income, the number of poor households has dropped below 40, and the remaining households all have average incomes. Some households earn over 15 million VND per month from tea cultivation, such as Mr. Lang Van Xuyen, Mr. Lang Van Hien, Mr. Vi Van Hai, Mr. Dang Van Duc, Mr. Hoang Van Che, etc.

With the increasing area under tea cultivation and rising tea yields, many households have purchased machinery to facilitate harvesting. This has freed up labor, further strengthening farmers' commitment to tea cultivation. Farmers are reassured about the market for their product, as the Hung Son Tea Enterprise sends personnel directly to their farms to purchase and transport the tea buds after harvesting. Furthermore, the price of raw tea remains stable, giving farmers peace of mind in their production and harvesting.

During the discussion, Mr. Lang Thai Hoa stated: "Developing tea cultivation in Cam Hoa is a reasonable direction, changing the way people think and work, and improving their lives. Hopefully, the road to the village will be upgraded soon, making the transportation of products and supplies more convenient. Surely, this will bring even more positive changes to the lives of the people!"

Text and photos:Cong Kien