'Cow King' in Huoi Poc

(Baonghean.vn) - From the small capital obtained through the opium eradication support program, after nearly 20 years, Mr. Gia Giong Chua in Huoi Poc, Nam Can, Ky Son has become the 'cow king' of this land.

In 1998, with the initial amount of 500,000 VND received from the Government's opium eradication support program, Mr. Gia Giong Chua used all of this money to invest in buying 10 breeding goats to graze on the family's land that was previously used for farming.

Now, Mr. Gia Giong Chua is the owner of a farm with 75 cows with the market price of each cow ranging from 10 to 20 million VND. Photo: Lu Phu

After 2 years, when the herd of goats had grown, Mr. Chua sold the mature ones to raise capital to buy a pair of breeding cows. From that pair of cows, Mr. Chua gradually developed a herd of cows, and now he is the owner of a farm with 75 cows, 14 goats, 20 black pigs and hundreds of poultry.

To facilitate livestock farming, he planted elephant grass, corn, and cassava to have a year-round source of food for his livestock... For ease of management and care, he and his family built a hut and camp to live on the mountain range behind Huoi Poc village. His family's annual income from livestock farming is from 100 million to 150 million VND.

In addition, Mr. Chua also takes care of and trains three fighting bulls, the most famous in the region. Photo: Lu Phu

From a poor household, Mr. Chua's family has now risen to become one of the wealthiest households in Huoi Poc village, Nam Can commune. According to calculations, "cow king" Gia Giong Chua now owns a farm with a total value of more than 1.5 billion VND.

He shared: In the past, the Mong people only knew how to grow corn, rice and opium to develop the economy. However, making money from opium was easy, but at that time, people's lives were very difficult, there were many poor households in the village, although they grew rice, some families still went hungry.

When the government requested that opium cultivation be abolished, our family had to comply. With the government's financial support, we bought goats to raise, then raised cows. Since raising cows, we have seen great results. Now our family no longer has to worry about food or clothing shortages, and our children have more opportunities to go to school.

Not only knowing how to enrich his family, Mr. Chua also helps Mr. Gia Ba Ly, who is blind, with a pair of cows. In the photo: Mr. Gia Ba Ly is taking care of his family's herd of cows developed from the pair of cows that Mr. Chua helped. Photo: Lu Phu

Not only knowing how to enrich his own family, Mr. Chua also cares about sharing experiences and helping other poor households in the village. In 2012, seeing the difficult situation of Mr. Gia Ba Ly's family, a disabled and blind man, Mr. Chua donated a pair of breeding cows. After many years of care, plus the family's investment, Mr. Ly now has a large herd of cows.

In addition to helping Gia Ba Ly's family escape poverty, Mr. Chua also supports cow breeds for many other households in the village. With his experience and knowledge, he is willing to share with the villagers to develop the farm economy together. The villagers admire him for his will and creative spirit to rise up and escape poverty.

Mr. Chua mobilizes villagers to develop the economy. Photo: Lu Phu

Thanks to Mr. Chua's good practice, 180 households in Huoi Poc village have learned how to raise livestock and prevent diseases. Therefore, the livestock in the village has grown in both quantity and quality; almost every household in the village raises buffaloes and cows, with small households raising 10-15, large households raising 20-30. The lives of the people in Huoi Poc village have gradually stabilized and they have risen out of poverty. Up to now, the rate of poor and near-poor households in the village is only over 40%.

Thanks to actively changing the crop structure and promoting livestock development, many Mong people in Huoi Poc village have now escaped poverty. Photo: Lu Phu

Evaluating further on the economic model of Mr. Gia Giong Chua's farm, Mr. Ho Ba Cha, Chairman of Nam Can Commune People's Committee, said: Huoi Poc village is a remote village with difficult transportation. However, there are families who know how to overcome difficulties, work hard, and escape poverty on their own like Mr. Gia Giong Chua's family. This is a great example, opening up hope and efforts for people in difficult areas.

Lu Phu