Farmer owns 7,000-odd rubber tree farm in Nghe An

(Baonghean.vn) - In Mr. Pay Ca Nam's 30-hectare farm, many different types of timber trees are grown, including 7,000 individual cassia trees that he has fenced off and protected.

A corner of Mr. Pay Ca Nam's small-scale cassia forest. Small-scale cassia is a species of tree that likes to grow in concentrated areas, but due to the destruction by indigenous people, small-scale cassia forests growing in concentrated areas are gradually becoming rare. Photo: Huu Vi

Mr. Pay Ca Nam's farm is located at the headwaters of a small stream about half an hour of trekking through the forest from Xieng Nua village, Yen Na commune (Tuong Duong). The flood swept away the wooden bridge and the stream was flowing so fast that we had to take a shortcut down the hill to get to the place where the 53-year-old man has been "staying his head" for the past 20 years.

In 1997, Mr. Pay Ca Nam took a knife to the mountainous area called Huoi Khung to farm. At first, he only intended to clear the village fields to grow rice, but then he saw a 3-hectare forest of cassia trees right next to the camp, so he came up with the idea of ​​​​enclosing and protecting it, as he said, "as a souvenir". For more than 20 years, Mr. Nam has not touched a single cassia tree.

For 20 years now, Mr. Pay Ca Nam has been protecting the individual cajeput trees in his farm as a hobby. “My purpose is just to keep them as souvenirs,” Mr. Nam said. Photo: Dao Tho

During 20 years of hard work, he single-handedly reclaimed 30 hectares of forest garden. In the farm, he planted more than 10,000 acacia trees, which yielded the first harvest and sold for more than 120 million. He invested 52 million to open a road to the farm. "Now cars can get close to my farm. No more fear of being forced to lower prices" - he breathed a sigh of relief. Being forced to lower prices by private traders is a nightmare for Mr. Nam and other forest growers in the highlands. He "fights" against what he considers injustice by only selling forest wood when he has opened a road to the field.

In addition to acacia trees, Mr. Nam also planted more than 6,000 teak trees and 3,000 mahogany trees. All of them are ready for harvest but he has not sold them yet. "When the road is completed, I will sell them all at once, not a few truckloads of them," Mr. Nam added.

The forest that Mr. Nam protected and protected is growing very well. Photo: Huu Vi

As a person who likes to grow plants, raising livestock is only to improve his meals, but he also has a fish pond and livestock such as buffalo, chickens, pigs, and goats. Vegetables are grown in the forest and in the garden, rice is grown on upland fields, and meat and fish are also raised by himself. It can be said that Mr. Pay Ca Nam's life is self-sufficient, self-sufficient on a small territory.

Talking about the casuarina forest, Mr. Nam said that at first, seeing the forest growing naturally in straight rows, he intended to turn it into a "homegrown tree", so he trimmed the small, weak trees to create momentum for the other trees to grow. He uprooted the small trees and planted them in the gaps. Over the decades, Mr. Nam has transformed the wild forest into a garden where the rows of wild trees have become orderly and orderly.

Mr. Nam said he feels very comfortable living in his vast and green “territory”. He intends to stay here for the rest of his life. Photo: Dao Tho

The small-sized cassia trees have been sought after by locals and traders for many years. But for the past 20 years, the small-sized cassia trees protected by Mr. Nam have remained very safe. “People do not dare to come and cut them down because outside we plant xoan, lat, and keo trees. This is our forest,” Mr. Nam said.

Mr. Nam said that a local person had offered 3 billion VND for the entire farm, but he firmly refused. “Even if it was 10 times that amount, I would not sell it. I intend to live my whole life on this farm. I feel most comfortable living in the forest that I created with my own hands,” the Thai farmer said proudly.

Mr. Nam counted the days and months on his fingers and said: "If I count the days and months, in the past 20 years, I spent 19 years in the forest. Only one year was spent at home with my children and grandchildren."./.

Huu Vi - Dao Tho