Initial results of the banana export project.
(Baonghean)Despite having only been established in the rice-growing region for over 3 years and facing numerous difficulties and challenges, the project to grow and process bananas for export in Vien Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, invested by Globe Farm Co., Ltd. of South Korea, has initially yielded practical results, providing stable employment for hundreds of local workers.
Since the banana cultivation and processing project for export was implemented in the area, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, along with nearly 100 farmers in Vien Thanh commune, applied to work as factory workers. With her diligent, hardworking nature, eagerness to learn and improve her technical skills, and adherence to working hours, she has had stable employment for over three years, earning an average of over 3 million VND per month. This has significantly contributed to improving her family's economic situation and providing for her children's education. Ms. Huong said: "Working at the banana export company is easy and not too strenuous. We have stable jobs, working 8 hours a day. Besides our salaries, the company has a bonus system and provides full insurance coverage for its workers. We feel very secure in our jobs."
Vien Thanh is a disadvantaged commune in Yen Thanh district. While it has a large area dedicated to crop cultivation, the soil is poor in nutrients and barren, resulting in low yields and productivity. Therefore, when an investor chose to implement a banana export project, the commune and district People's Committees provided all necessary land and space to facilitate the investor's project implementation.
Globe Farm Co., Ltd. of South Korea has coordinated the completion of land lease contracts with local households, carried out land improvement, dug canals, installed nurseries, mobilized machinery for leveling, and imported banana seedlings from the Philippines for propagation. They also employed over 100 local farmers. After nearly three years, on an area of over 52 hectares, the factory and processing facilities, along with the lush green banana plantations, stretch as far as the eye can see. The heavily laden banana bunches are carefully tended, awaiting harvest for export. Mr. Dang Quang Hoang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Vien Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh District, stated: "Building the factory in the area helps the locality effectively implement the project of creating jobs for farmers, and also changes the mindset, work style, and way of thinking and doing of the people in farming to develop their family economy."
The bananas are packed in crates for export.
With the goal of providing seedlings and technical support to farmers with land for banana cultivation, and moving towards signing cooperation contracts for banana cultivation for export, as well as building a banana packaging and preservation factory, the banana planting and export project, with 100% foreign investment located in Vien Thanh commune, has been granted an investment certificate by the Provincial People's Committee. The project covers an area of 200 hectares, with an export volume of 10,000 tons of whole bunches of bananas per year, and a total investment of 3 million US dollars.
Currently, in Vien Thanh, Globe Farm Company has planted bananas across its entire 52-hectare area (equivalent to over 100,000 seedlings) using a high-tech application program. In early 2013, the bananas began to be harvested, and the first three containers were exported to the South Korean market, receiving positive feedback from buyers. This is in addition to the bananas exported to other provinces and cities nationwide. Ms. Phan Thi Hong, Manager of Globe Farm Company, stated: "The company has received support and favorable conditions from the commune and district authorities, and has been operating relatively stably. However, the target is 200 hectares, but we have only received 52 hectares due to inadequate road infrastructure. Therefore, we earnestly request that the authorities at all levels provide the necessary conditions for road and bridge construction and land allocation so that the company can plant and produce according to the project's objectives, meeting the requirements of our buyers and providing employment opportunities for local people."
Anh Tuan - Phan Hien (Yen Thanh Radio Station)
