The "four-party" linkage opens up avenues for economic development.

(Baonghean)Tuong Duong district is proactively strengthening the "four-party" linkage to develop socio-economic conditions in mountainous border communes, especially those facing difficulties such as Nhon Mai, Mai Son, and Tam Hop... This endeavor began when passion fruit cultivation took root in this region...

From the experimental seedlings

Arriving at Tham Tham village, where eight households were selected for a pilot passion fruit cultivation model nearly two years ago, we were truly captivated by the trellises laden with fruit and the enthusiastic working atmosphere of the Mong ethnic people.

Leaders of Tuong Duong district visit the passion fruit farming model of Mr. Va Ba Ka in Tham Tham village (Nhon Mai). Photo: Dang Nguyen.

Va Ba Ka's passion fruit orchard, with 269 plants, was planted in late 2015. The first harvest yielded over 100 million VND, significantly higher than traditional crops like corn, rice, peaches, and plums. Therefore, this year his family converted most of their hillside land to passion fruit cultivation, planting nearly 500 plants. Seeing the success, from the initial 8 households that started as a pilot project, now 18 out of 20 households in Tham Tham village are growing passion fruit, covering over 18 hectares.

According to Mr. Luong Xuan Hiep, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nhon Mai commune, the gently sloping, barren hillsides that had been used for growing corn and rice for many years are now being replaced with passion fruit trees, bringing high income to the local people. Following Tham Tham, Huoi Co, Xoi Voi, Na Hy, and others have also started planting passion fruit, raising the total area of ​​passion fruit cultivation in the commune to 40.5 hectares.

In Huoi Son village, Tam Hop commune, Mr. Xong Ba Xu's family, one of the 13 households in the village that participated in the first passion fruit planting season, said: "At first, we were worried about registering to plant passion fruit, but after learning from experience, and especially with the support from the local government and businesses in terms of funding and seedlings, our family decided to put in the effort and prepare the land to create a passion fruit garden with nearly 200 plants." To date, the plants are 70-80 cm tall and will be ready for harvest in September. According to Mr. Xu's calculations, if the weather is favorable, his family will earn over 70 million VND.

Linking the "four stakeholders" for sustainable development.

Passion fruit is not only considered a poverty-alleviating crop, but it has also truly transformed outdated, self-sufficient production practices and a mindset of dependence and reliance that were once considered an unchangeable "fortress" for the local people. Instead, it has fostered a sense of self-improvement and a market-oriented production mindset. From poverty, many households have truly become "business owners," not only earning hundreds of millions of dong but also employing entire teams of workers. Thanks to the substantial income from passion fruit, illegal migration, seeking work elsewhere, and slash-and-burn farming have significantly decreased.

Passion fruit grown in Tuong Duong is assessed by Nafoods Passion Fruit Joint Stock Company as being of high quality. Photo: D.N.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hai, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuong Duong District, happily stated: "For many years, the district has sought solutions to boost socio-economic development in remote, mountainous, and border areas, but has yet to find a suitable direction. After research and surveys, we chose to develop passion fruit cultivation. This is a completely feasible direction, because the conditions in the planned areas have steep slopes, a cold climate, and soil suitable for growing passion fruit. Currently, the West Nghe An road has been opened, making it very convenient for people to trade and connect with raw material areas in the district such as Tri Le commune (Que Phong) and some communes in Ky Son district…"

Tuong Duong District has made breakthroughs in its leadership and management, focusing on implementing the "four-party" linkage model right from the pilot phase. The district has worked with Nafoods Passion Fruit Joint Stock Company, a strong player in passion fruit export, primarily targeting the European market. Under the linkage program, the company is responsible for planting techniques, care, providing pesticides, investing in seeds, and purchasing all the produce from farmers at a minimum price of 9,000 VND/kg.

In addition, the district established a steering committee, assigning responsibilities to each organization and individual to coordinate with businesses and farmers in implementing the plan. Furthermore, it intensified propaganda efforts to inform the people about the province's and district's policies on introducing passion fruit cultivation. Simultaneously, it organized visits for participating households and village/commune leaders to observe and learn from successful models, allowing people to see firsthand the economic benefits and cultivation techniques of passion fruit.

Dang Nguyen