(Baonghean.vn) - Spanning nearly 4 hectares on the cloud-covered slopes of Ka Trên village (Na Ngoi, Ky Son district) is the vast area of lush green Shan Tuyet tea plantations and thriving organic vegetable gardens of the 10th Youth Volunteer Brigade. 35 young men of the Brigade, with their youthful energy, pioneered the reclamation and development of this barren, rocky highland region.
 |
| The Youth Volunteer Brigade No. 10 was established in 2012 in Na Ngoi commune with 35 current members, the majority of whom are children of local ethnic minorities. |
 |
| Currently, there are 20,000 tea seedlings in the nursery. These seedlings have been grown for 7 months and will be ready for planting in about 5 more months. This is the number of seedlings that the General Team will use to expand the planting area in the next season, as well as to supply to the Hmong people residing in the area. |
 |
| Currently, the total tea-growing area of 300 households in partnership with the General Team is over 200 hectares. For areas where tea plants have already formed buds, the yield of fresh tea buds harvested in the first eight months of this year reached 28 tons. With a stable purchase price of 8000 VND/kg, this has become a significant source of income for the local people. |
 |
| According to Mr. Vuong Xuan Tru, Deputy Team Leader of the General Team, the General Team was established with the main purpose of linking and transferring scientific and technical knowledge in production, as well as organizing the production of goods, creating jobs for young people and local people. From there, it contributes to poverty reduction, limiting illegal forest burning for slash-and-burn farming, and preventing the re-cultivation of opium poppies in the area. |
 |
| Mr. Dam Ngoc Van, a technical officer of the General Team, is in the process of taking tea cuttings for propagation. He is one of eight young intellectuals who graduated from universities and have brought their enthusiasm to the General Team over the years. |
 |
| Tea cuttings are taken from nurseries over 3 years old. After selecting healthy cuttings, technical staff will prepare them in pots for one year before planting. |
 |
| Besides tea plants, the General Team is currently cultivating over 300,000 seedlings of cabbage, kohlrabi, and other vegetables to supply to local people for the Tet holiday vegetable planting season. |
 |
| The vegetable seedlings are carefully tended in the nursery and are monitored daily with thermometers to check the temperature. This allows for the adjustment of the irrigation system to provide the appropriate moisture for the seedlings. |
 |
| According to estimates, each plot of land planted with organic vegetables yields approximately 5 quintals, bringing in nearly 5 million VND per crop. Since organic fertilizers are readily available and the climate is cool year-round, pests and diseases are minimal, so growers only need to invest in care. |
 |
| With scientific farming techniques and a reliable infrastructure, the quality and output of the team's production have improved. Importantly, this has breathed new life into the community, changing the mindset and approach of the Mong people in their struggle to escape poverty in their own homeland. |
Thanh Quynh
