Struggling with the question of "what crops to grow, what animals to raise?"

(Baonghean) - Eradicating hunger and poverty for ethnic minorities in mountainous areas is a correct policy. However, for decades, the question of what crops to plant and what livestock to raise to help ethnic minorities in mountainous areas escape poverty has yet to be answered…

In the 1970s, we began experimenting with several crops to help ethnic minority communities escape poverty. Starting with coffee, then pepper, mangoes, persimmons, lychees, longan… and so on. As one crop took root, another was brought in for testing. In many localities, the practice of uprooting previous crops to test new ones occurred. As a result, none of the crops have now proven viable enough to provide income for the people. After crops came livestock, from raising high-yielding hybrid pigs with large market weights and shorter rearing times, resulting in higher income.

After hybrid pigs came hybrid Sind cattle, super-laying ducks, rabbits, super-meat chickens… and so on, one after another. The goals were not achieved, investment budgets were seriously wasted, and public trust was eroded.

A thorough study of these failures reveals that they stemmed from excessive haste and a lack of in-depth research into soil quality, climate, wind patterns, sunshine and rainfall patterns, and the environment. This haste led to rushed implementation, failing to study local customs and practices, and neglecting to adapt production methods in each region to ensure successful cultivation and adoption of crops and livestock. Most farmers, upon introducing new crops, believed they were planting for the district, province, or the government, not for themselves. After planting, they neglected care and protection, allowing cattle to roam freely, damaging and trampling the crops.

It must be reiterated that, in order to successfully cultivate crops or raise livestock to achieve sustainable poverty reduction for people in mountainous areas, it is essential to first understand their customs and thoroughly study the natural laws governing these activities. Mountainous people may work tirelessly all day cutting down large trees to harvest fruit, or clearing entire forests for slash-and-burn agriculture, but they are unwilling to cultivate a level plot of land for planting. Recently, the movement to plant forests for paper production, such as acacia and bamboo, seems well-suited to their customs and has become a widespread and highly successful initiative. It provides raw materials, increases income for the people, and greenifies barren land and hills.

If in the past we focused on tea instead of coffee, pepper, mango, and persimmon, now we have thousands of hectares of industrial tea plantations serving the export market. If previously we prioritized developing native fruit trees like jackfruit, pomelo, kumquat, and palm trees, now we have more exportable goods. Tea, acacia, and other fruit trees are well-adapted to the climate and environment, and importantly, are suitable for the customs and traditions of the local people, helping them escape poverty sustainably. Now, brands like black pigs, grass-fed pigs, free-range chickens, hill chickens, mountain goats, hill cattle, and mountain tamarind have become clean, delicious food products, attracting tourists and helping many households escape poverty and become wealthy.

The policy of developing the mountainous economy and investing in infrastructure to help ethnic minorities escape poverty sustainably is a correct one. For mountainous regions to catch up with lowland areas, investment is essential, and significant investment is necessary. However, the investment structure must be carefully studied, adhere to established principles, and avoid haste. Investment should focus on crops and livestock that are already familiar with the land, the people, and the production and farming practices of the local people to ensure effectiveness and achieve the set goals. Crucially, investors and project owners must be accountable to the Party and the people for the effectiveness and the goal of poverty alleviation for ethnic minorities in mountainous regions. We must avoid the situation where projects are pursued through bribery and corruption to enrich a select few, while the State and the people bear the responsibility for their success or failure…

Phung Van Mui

Con Cuong District Party Committee