Happy Season in Liu Tong

(Baonghean) - Perched precariously on a high mountain top, Luu Thong village (Luu Kien - Tuong Duong) has 59 households, 315 people, with 100% of the population being Mong people. In recent years, with the attention of the Party, the State, and investment from programs and projects, Luu Thong village is changing day by day. This year, Mong people in Luu Thong share the joy of a bumper crop of corn and squash.

Corn purchase in Luu Thong village (Luu Kien, Tuong Duong).

These days, in Luu Thong village, the porches of every house are filled with green pumpkins and corn. The corn kernels are plump and golden; the big, green pumpkins are lined up in rows and piled up on the fields, on the eaves of houses, in the drying yard; the sound of corn shelling machines is humming... On the trails leading to the fields, people carry corn and pumpkins back to the village. This year, the people of Luu Thong village are very happy, pumpkins and corn have a good harvest and good prices.

Visiting Vu Gia Nhenh's family in the village when he and his wife were threshing corn. His family is one of the households growing the most corn and squash in the village with 20 kg of CP888 and VN 10 corn varieties. Every day, when the mountain mist still lingers on the hillsides and the paths are unclear, Vu Gia Nhenh and his wife pack rice and go to the fields to weed and fertilize the corn and squash. Thanks to their diligence and hard work, the Mong people in Luu Thong have turned the barren hills into lush green corn fields with large, even grains, bringing in a good income. This year's corn crop, Nhenh's family harvested 7 tons of corn and 7 tons of squash. The joy of a good harvest is clearly visible on their faces. Mr. Nhenh shared: “This year, my family’s corn field used up 200 seeds, yielded 7 tons, and sold 7 tons of squash for 40 million VND. So I have money to pay for my children’s education; buy household items. Next year, I will reclaim land and plant more corn and squash...”.

Thanks to corn and squash, not only Nhenh's family but also many other households in Luu Thong village have been able to build new houses, buy motorbikes, and invest in their children's education. The joy of a good harvest seems to spread throughout the village, with every household gathering agricultural products on their porches waiting to sell to traders. On the newly built, wide concrete road leading to the village, trucks full of corn and squash are being transported to the lowland districts.

For generations, the Mong people in Luu Thong have been famous for their diligence, hard work and ability to preserve many local varieties of crops and livestock with high productivity and quality such as squash, cucumber, and sticky rice. In 2014, the whole village planted 90 hectares of corn and 30 hectares of squash, accounting for a large volume compared to the total planting area of ​​the district. This crop, the people had a big harvest with an output of 300 tons of corn and over 200 tons of squash. In particular, the village received investment from the State to build a concrete road from National Highway 7A to the center of the village, making it convenient for traders' vehicles to come and buy from households. Thanks to that, the price of agricultural products has increased, making them easy to sell. Village elder Vu Tong Ma was excited: In the past, the villagers often grew upland rice, took care of it with difficulty but the yield was low, and they were often hungry. The district and commune agricultural extension officers encouraged them to switch to growing corn and squash; and were also provided with seeds, fertilizers, and instructions on how to care for the crops, so the villagers were very happy. The soil and climate are suitable for corn and squash to grow well, producing large corn and large fruit. The road to the village is convenient, selling at a good price makes the people very happy. Corn and squash are the poverty-stricken crops of the people of Luu Thong...

With a good harvest, the Luu Thong Mong people are happy because they do not have to worry about food and clothing, all their daily needs are fully met, and they are also very excited to continue increasing production in the next crop. The efforts in production of the people have contributed to shifting the crop structure in the right direction, implementing the targets of the Resolution of the Party Congress at all levels in the locality.

Khanh Hien

Tuong Duong Radio and Television Station