Muong Long is reaching for prosperity!
The persimmon trees thrive in the soil of Muong Long. In Muong Long commune, Ky Son district – once considered the capital of opium cultivation – when we arrived, the peach blossoms of winter were peeking out, as if to celebrate the Mong New Year. The persimmon and peach trees also bore more fruit than the previous season. The road to the "Heaven's Gate" was sunny but parted by mist... "Dreaming of opium plants is a bad omen."
The rose bush thrives in the soil of Muong Long. |
"Dreaming about opium poppies is a bad omen."
This morning, Mr. Lau Giong Dia woke up very early; his ginger field was waiting to be harvested. Since the eradication of opium poppy cultivation, his family has focused on growing plums, peaches, taro, and ginger. On land that once seemed only suitable for one type of plant, new crops have now taken root. The white of plum blossoms has replaced the white and purple of opium poppies. The same color of flowers evokes two different moods. Mr. Dia's family used to cultivate over 5 hectares of opium poppies. When the commune officials came to persuade them, his family was one of the first in the commune to voluntarily abandon opium poppy cultivation, even though at that time, he couldn't imagine how his family of seven would survive. Fortunately, thanks to the officials who always stood by the people, sharing their hardships and helping them through propaganda programs, integrated support, and subsidies for goods and livestock, the land once devoid of opium poppies now boasts 500 plum trees, over 2 hectares of ginger, and taro. He earns 8 million dong a year from ginger and over 10 million dong from raising cattle and chickens. His son has bought a car to transport ginger and taro to Muong Xen market for sale. Mr. Dia said: "Compared to before, growing ginger and raising cattle is harder work, but in return, the income is stable and life is more prosperous."
Not only Mr. Dia's family, but all 14 villages of Muong Long commune have now completely eradicated opium cultivation. After more than ten years of implementing the campaign to eliminate opium cultivation, the district, which once had the largest opium-growing area in the country: 3,200 hectares (in 1992), has now basically eradicated it completely. Mr. Lau Cho Chech, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of the commune, said: "Now, people have forgotten about growing opium; even dreaming about opium plants is considered a bad omen."
Ginger - a product that provides high income for the local people. |
His village used to have 130 households (740 people), each cultivating about 1 to 2 hectares of opium poppies. Life didn't improve because of it. "Growing opium poppies only enriches traders. Each year, a family only earns less than 10 million dong, it's hard work and dangerous," he said.
Livestock farming is more efficient than crop farming.
These exemplary cases are merely bright spots in the overall picture and are not enough to brighten the entire picture. Persuading people to abandon their long-standing practice of opium cultivation and adopt new crops and livestock is a fierce and persistent struggle, a welcome victory, but it is only the first step. Helping people cultivate new, fruit-bearing crops on their old land is already a difficult task, but even after the plants bear fruit, other difficulties arise. In reality, not only in Muong Long but in many other mountainous provinces in northern Vietnam, the restructuring of crop and livestock production faces a difficult problem: finding markets for agricultural products. Even families like Mr. Hua's, who have planted several hundred plum trees and harvest about 15 tons annually, often struggle with finding buyers. The road to Cong Troi (Heaven's Gate) is blocked for several months during the rainy season each year, preventing cars from reaching the village. Ripe plums, with no market, sometimes arrive at the district town only to find the plums rotting. The remaining plums, harvested too late, have to be left to rot. Looking at the plums staining the orchard red, Mr. Hua felt heartbroken. "The road was soaked by the rain, it ate all the plums in our village," he lamented. Early season plums could sell for around 3,000-4,000 VND/kg, but in the middle of the season, you might only be able to recoup 500-1,000 VND/kg. This is why the more than 20 hectares of Tam Hoa plums in Muong Long commune haven't yielded the high economic returns one might expect.
Unable to give up, the officials and villagers worked together to find new crops and livestock to support the plum trees, even though, like plums, finding markets for all agricultural products was difficult. Along with plums, the villagers were guided to grow ginger, peaches, taro, tea, and raise red lac insects... Mr. Hua's family even planted persimmons. The first harvest of 300 persimmon trees brought him joy, but he still didn't know... who to sell them to.
In Muong Long commune, livestock farming appears to be more economically efficient than crop cultivation. This year, in particular, the black chicken farming model is being widely adopted throughout the commune. The district provides financial support for purchasing chicks and technical guidance on raising them. Chickens can be sold after six months of raising. Locally, the selling price is 80,000 VND/kg. This model has initially proven to be more economically beneficial for the people compared to plum cultivation. The total number of chickens in the commune is currently around 14,000.
According to Mr. Vu Chia Chu, Vice Chairman of Muong Long commune, the cattle farming model is the most sustainable and effective. The Farmers' Association facilitates bank loans for the villagers. Each household receives a loan of 5 to 10 million VND to develop livestock farming. The entire commune has now developed a herd of nearly 3,000 cattle. The cattle are raised in concentrated enclosures, and sales are relatively easy.
Muong Long today. |
Muong Long is known as the "Gateway to Heaven" of Western Nghe An. Perched precariously on a high mountain peak, Muong Long offers a breathtaking view of the winding, narrow roads nestled in the rocky valleys below. The path to the Gate of Heaven is treacherous and winding. During foggy times, the Gate of Heaven appears hazy in a milky white haze; reaching out, one feels as if they can touch the clouds. Yet, even after passing through the Gate of Heaven, the clouds still seem far away. On Muong Long's journey out of poverty, the gap between reality and dreams is often like this: the destination is easily visible, but reaching it is another matter entirely. Leaving Muong Long, we only hope that the people there will soon not only achieve prosperity but also firmly grasp it, just as we did when we held onto the Gate of Heaven and pulled the clouds into our sight.
Text and photos: Phuoc Thao
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