Economic efficiency from meter tree
(Baonghean) - While the output materials are very difficult to consume, the number of meters in Tuong Duong is not enough to meet the market demand. From meters, many households have become rich.
We returned to Tam Quang commune and saw the vast green of the meter tree everywhere. Mr. Phan Dinh Toan in Khe Bo-Tam Quang led us into the meter forest and excitedly boasted: His family planted 7 hectares of meter, earning 18 million VND/ha/year. The good thing about meter trees is that they have year-round income, harvesting both meter shoots and meter trees. Thanks to the money from selling meter trees, his family has saved up to build more models of raising wild pigs, porcupines, and planting forests, earning over 500 million VND/year.
Mr. Kha Van Toan in Tam Bong village confided: Met is a type of tree suitable for low-lying areas such as along streams and rivers, planting is quite simple, take a one-year-old tree trunk and cut it to plant directly or incubate it for 6 months when it sprouts, cut each node into a tree to plant, about 4-5 years old is ready for harvest. However, when harvesting, it is necessary to follow the technique, cut and prune properly so that the Met tree grows well, the larger the diameter, the easier it is to sell. My family alone grows 6 hectares of Met, thanks to proper care and exploitation, Met can be harvested all year round, about 4-6 days of exploitation from 250-300 Met trees. There is no need to worry about output because traders bring cars to the place every day to buy and bring them downstream for sale. Not to mention that in Tuong Duong there is also an export chopstick processing point that buys Met for people.
Mr. Tran Van Hien, a truck driver who transports meters, said: About every 3 days I go from Vinh City to Tuong Duong to collect meters to bring back. In recent days, many trucks have come to buy meters, there is a shortage of goods so I have to wait 2 days but the truck is still not full. According to Mr. Hien, meters are consumed in the lowland districts and Vinh City very much, mainly sold to construction units for scaffolding.
Mr. Ho Viet Son - Chairman of Tam Quang Commune People's Committee said: Tam Quang is a commune with a large area of meters, over 350 hectares, concentrated in the villages of Tam Lien, Tam Bong, Khe Bo, Son Ha ... Previously, people planted at high density so the efficiency was not high, the commune has recommended and guided people to plant according to the technical process of 250 trees/1 hectare. The demand for buying meter trees on the market is currently quite large, every day there are 2-3 trucks coming to the area to buy meters. Currently, the road to the border villages of Tung Huong, Lien Huong ... is about to be completed, the commune will have the conditions to expand the area of meters to over 200 hectares in the above villages to help people eliminate hunger and reduce poverty.
Mr. Hoang Si Thin - Head of the Agriculture Department of Tuong Duong district added: The whole district of Tuong Duong currently has about 2,000 hectares of meters, mainly concentrated in the communes of Tam Quang, Tam Dinh, Tam Thai, Thach Giam, Xa Luong... Meter trees here have been planted since the 1980s, because they are easy to consume, meters have grown strongly since 2000 until now. Seeing the effectiveness of meters, since 2000, the district has encouraged people to plant meters. In particular, officers of the Department of Agriculture and Agricultural Extension actively guide people on how to care for and thin out meters to improve efficiency in the process of exploiting meters.
From the economic efficiency of the meter tree in the coming years, Tuong Duong will expand the area to about 300 hectares in the inner villages of the communes along National Highway 7. The district has integrated the 30a Program to support 70% of the meter seed cost for people participating in growing meter trees.
Van Truong