Promoting economic models for poverty reduction goals

(Baonghean) - Implementing the poverty reduction target according to the Resolution of the 21st District Party Congress, over the past 2 years, Que Phong district has implemented many projects and programs to support production and economic development. Through that, thousands of households have jobs, improved income, and improved quality of life.

Previously, Don Cham village, Muong Noc commune was a rice growing area but the efficiency was poor, many crops had to be abandoned. After carefully studying the climate and soil conditions, the district invested in seeds, techniques, and built all the items from water tank systems, faucets, protective fences... to create conditions for households to grow clean vegetables on an area of ​​over 32,000m2.

Starting from the 2015 winter crop, 32 households planted crops such as kohlrabi, cabbage, mustard greens, green beans, cucumbers, etc. As a result, the first harvest yielded economic efficiency three times higher than growing rice.

Ms. Vi Thi Thanh, a household participating in vegetable growing, said: After receiving support from the district to convert, her family converted a 2,000m2 rice field into a garden specializing in growing vegetables, tubers, and fruits. The first harvest brought the family nearly 20 million VND.

According to Ms. Thanh, vegetables can be harvested in a short time, so 3-4 crops can be grown in a year. Notably, clean vegetable products are sought after by traders and registered for consumption by restaurants and schools in the district, creating peace of mind for producers.

The model of raising fish in cages on the lake bed in Dong Van commune brings high income to the people. Photo: QA

In Dong Van and Tien Phong communes, the model of raising fish in cages on rivers and large dams implemented by the District's Rural and Mountainous Development Board since mid-2016 has also been effective.

Of which, Dong Van commune has 20 fish cages, 8 households participated; Tien Phong commune has 5 cages, 1 household participated; households were supported with all cage frames, nets and initial food (6 million VND/cage) and supported 70% of the total 9,524 climbing fish fry, an average of 380 fish per cage.

According to Mr. Nguyen Ba Hien - Head of the District's Rural Development Department: The climbing fish breed can grow to an average of 2.0 - 2.5 kg per fish after 6 months of farming, and can weigh 3 - 4 kg per fish after a year. The price is from 150,000 - 200,000 VND/kg, so when sold, the household owner can earn hundreds of millions of VND.

In particular, according to statistics, Que Phong district currently has 843 types of medicinal plants (out of a total of 962 types of medicinal plants present in Nghe An). The goal of preserving and developing medicinal plants to become a spearhead of economic development has also been included in the Resolution of the 21st District Party Congress, term 2015 - 2020. Most recently, a project to preserve and develop medicinal plants of high economic value has been developed.

Accordingly, the planning for growing medicinal plants is divided into 3 regions based on soil characteristics: The central region (Muong Noc, Chau Kim, Que Son, Tien Phong) focuses on developing cardamom; the southwestern region (Quang Phong, Cam Muon, Chau Thon, Nam Nhoong, Nam Giai and Tri Le) focuses on expanding bon bo and nhan tran plants; the northwestern region (Thong Thu, Dong Van and Hanh Dich) focuses on developing yellow tea and codonopsis.

This is an opportunity for people to focus on economic development and escape poverty, because medicinal plants have high economic value. For example, dried yellow camellia flowers cost from 2.6 to 3 million VND/kg, fresh flowers cost nearly 500,000 VND/kg...

Previously, in early 2015, the People's Committee of Que Phong district coordinated with Nghe An Forestry Consulting Center to launch the project "Building a model for conservation, development and sustainable use of bon bo trees based on the community, contributing to biodiversity conservation". Currently, the model is deployed on an area of ​​54 hectares, including 14 hectares of newly planted trees, 40 hectares of protected and supplemented planting under the canopy of natural forests. According to calculations, with concentrated protected and protected areas, each year the income is from 30 - 60 million VND/ha.

At the same time, many economic models, programs and projects have been implemented, contributing to helping people increase their income and improve their lives, such as the passion fruit model in Tri Le commune and a few in other communes with a total area of ​​283.3 hectares; clean vegetables in Que Son, etc., bringing many positive changes to the economy in the district. According to statistical results, in the first 9 months of 2017, all production sectors had quite good growth (agriculture, forestry and fishery increased by 5.42%; industry - construction increased by 7.77% and services increased by 9.19% compared to the same period in 2016); average income per capita increased by 3.43% compared to the same period in 2016, reaching 13.99 million VND.

Passion fruit growing model of Pa Kim villagers, Hanh Dich commune (Que Phong). Photo: Hoai Thu

During the implementation of programs and projects, Que Phong district publicly deployed and consulted people from the beginning to suit local conditions.

According to Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung - Secretary of the Que Son Commune Party Committee, it is from the right policy that the advantages of terrain, land and labor resources of the locality have been promoted. For example, making sugarcane the main crop in agricultural development and focusing on raising large herds of cattle and poultry, developing the forest garden economy. At the same time, propagandizing and mobilizing people to change their occupations, increasing labor export...

Mr. Lu Dinh Thi - Secretary of Que Phong District Party Committee said: We identify the task of socio-economic development, increasing income and reducing poverty as a particularly important task. Accordingly, with synchronous solutions, the poverty rate in the area has decreased. If in 2015 the poverty rate of the whole district was 51.44%, now that rate has decreased to 45.95%, in which poor communes and poor households of ethnic minorities have decreased by an average of more than 5%.

However, poverty reduction in Que Phong district still faces many difficulties. The number of households escaping poverty each year has decreased but not sustainably, the number of poor households participating in the model is still small. In addition, backward production and living habits and the mentality of waiting and relying on others still exist among officials and people. Although infrastructure has been invested in and built, it still fails to meet development requirements...

According to the District Party Secretary, the goal of Que Phong escaping from poverty by 2020 and striving to become a well-off district in the mountainous region is still a heavy task. In the immediate future, the district has set out directions and tasks including focusing on removing difficulties, creating favorable conditions for production and business development, striving for a higher growth rate each year than the previous year, on the basis of promoting economic restructuring; focusing on directing the effective implementation of economic models, thereby creating spillover and replication in the area.

In addition, effectively implement the State's support policies for the poor, rotate officials to directly help households escape poverty, and strive to reduce the poverty rate by 4-5% annually.

Quang An