Many models create sustainable livelihoods for people

(Baonghean.vn) - Recently, Luc Da commune (Con Cuong) has focused on converting the structure of crops and livestock, introducing new varieties of plants and animals with high productivity and quality into production, increasing income for people...

Watermelon growing model of Mr. Lo Van Diep in Luc Da commune (Con Cuong).

The family of Mr. Lo Van Diep in Met village is one of the pioneers in the local crop conversion movement. Previously, on an area of ​​more than 2 sao of fertile land, his family mainly grew corn but the productivity and efficiency were not high. In 2012, he switched to growing watermelon. Mr. Diep said that although the investment cost of growing watermelon is higher than growing corn, the planting and harvesting time is short, only about 2.5 months, so each year his family can rotate 3 crops. Thanks to investment and care ensuring the process, each sao yields nearly 3 tons. With an average selling price of 8,000 VND/kg, each crop he earns 16 million VND, 4 times higher than growing corn.

Mr. La Van Cuong - Head of Met village, Luc Da commune said: "Implementing the policy of converting crop structure, from 2013 to now, households have participated in implementing models of growing watermelon, pumpkin, green squash, hot pepper on fertile land, growing winter corn on double-rice land, converting rice growing areas but with low productivity due to lack of water to growing other crops, bringing in income from 20 to 40 million VND/ha/crop". Thanks to that, the poverty rate of Met village has decreased to 32.7%.

Mr. Ngan Van Tuong's cassava garden in Yen Hoa village, Luc Da commune (Con Cuong).

To increase income for the people, the Party Committee and the People's Committee of the commune also have a policy of converting and reasonably planning some areas to produce high-income crops. In 2015, with the policy of greening barren hills, the commune planted cassava raw materials in fallow lands with a scale of over 400 hectares. From the fallow lands, the 2015 cassava crop produced over 2,000 tons of cassava.

A typical example is the family of Mr. Ngan Van Tuong in Yen Hoa village, who has utilized 1.5 hectares of fallow land to grow cassava. In the 2015 cassava crop, his family harvested 30 tons of cassava, after deducting expenses, he earned 27 million VND. Mr. Tuong excitedly said: “Previously, this was a fallow land, overgrown with trees. In 2015, after the commune had a policy of converting crops, my family worked hard to clear the reeds to grow cassava. Thanks to growing cassava, my family has increased their income and improved their daily life.”

In addition to planting traditional seedlings, Luc Da commune is currently piloting the planting of 10 hectares of arrowroot, striving to expand to 400 hectares by 2017. On that basis, the commune has cooperated with Thanh Chuong cassava starch processing factory to sell products to farmers.

Hot chili export model in Luc Da commune (Con Cuong). Photo: Huu Nghia

Along with focusing on changing the crop structure, restoring and developing craft villages associated with community tourism is one of the key points that Luc Da commune is interested in exploiting, contributing to increasing income and improving people's lives.

Mr. Pham Trong Binh - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the Commune People's Committee said: "Based on the potential and strengths of the commune, the local Party Committee and authorities determined to promote the development of agriculture and forestry towards the goal of hunger eradication and poverty reduction quickly and sustainably. The good implementation of the targets right from the beginning of the term is also an important premise to encourage the people of all ethnic groups in the commune to actively develop the economy and join hands in building new rural areas".

Minh Hanh - Ba Hau

Con Cuong Radio Station