Thach Giam eradicates poverty.

(Baonghean) - Despite having great development potential, by 2010, the poverty rate in Thach Giam commune (Tuong Duong district) still accounted for 57%. When the Party and State launched the New Rural Development program, the locality identified poverty eradication as one of the most difficult criteria. This is because the people's economy is mainly agricultural, dependent on nature, the young workforce lacks employment, scientific and technical knowledge, and the general education level is low...

Mr. Mac Van Nguyen, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thach Giam commune, said: "When the district selected Thach Giam as a pilot unit for building new rural areas, we considered it an honor, but it also brought many concerns. Many solutions were proposed to achieve the goal of poverty eradication. But how to eradicate poverty sustainably is the most important thing. All efforts were mobilized: calling for mutual assistance within the community; assigning each official and Party member to help poor households; support from the District Fatherland Front and mobilizing assistance from businesses located in the commune; combining and integrating State programs, such as Program 135/CP, 134/CP, 167/CP, and Government Resolution 30a."

Before assisting the commune, a survey was conducted of each poor household to understand the causes of poverty and provide practical support that met the people's needs. Households needing livestock were provided with breeding stock, those needing crops were provided with seedlings, and those with labor and land but lacking capital were provided with low-interest loans by political organizations in coordination with the District Branch of the Social Policy Bank for investment in livestock farming and production. For commune officials, the Party Committee assigned the responsibility of contributing their monthly salaries and coordinating with all nine villages to survey each poor household. If a household showed a strong desire to overcome poverty, officials and Party members were responsible for providing hands-on guidance on gardening, building livestock shelters, etc., while also supporting them with seedlings and livestock.

The banana plantation of Mr. Vi Hai Lam's family in Chan village.

The family of Mr. Vi Van Binh in Chan village was classified as a poor household before 2012. In early 2013, with the support of commune officials, they purchased two piglets and received guidance on carefully fencing their garden and planting vegetables. Thanks to this, all family members had work, and although the income wasn't large, it was enough to cover daily expenses from selling vegetables, bananas, and pigs. By the end of 2013, the family had escaped poverty. Vi Van Lip, the Party Secretary of Chan village, stated: "Thanks to the direct support and guidance on farming methods from commune officials, many families have escaped poverty. Currently, only 9 out of 110 households in Chan village are classified as poor according to state regulations. The movement of families engaging in gardening is developing strongly in the village."

Selected as a model for building new rural areas, the district has implemented many pilot models for crops and livestock in recent years, creating opportunities for people to visit, learn, and replicate on a larger scale. For example, the model of growing pink bananas, initially implemented on nearly 1 hectare, has now expanded to over 4 hectares in Chan village, gradually creating a large-scale commodity production in the area. The model of growing clean green vegetables, tubers, and fruits in Phong village, implemented by the Provincial Inspection Committee in coordination with Vinh University, has created a correct direction, utilizing many areas of fertile land in the locality. Therefore, in recent years, farmers in Thach Giam have been selling green vegetables and cucumbers grown on their fields daily along National Highway 7, creating a familiar market for customers, especially those from the lowlands. Similarly, the specialty mangoes of Tuong Duong, grown mostly in the villages of Thach Giam, are a local variety with small fruits but a distinctive aroma and sweetness that delights consumers. Ms. Vi Thi Lien from Lau village shared: "My family has nearly 1 hectare of cultivated land, and every year we intercrop cucumbers, which brings in a lot of income. This season, we harvested about 1 ton of cucumbers, carried them to National Highway 7, and sold them to travelers at 15,000 VND/kg, earning about 15 million VND. Vegetables and fruits grown in our garden and fields without pesticides are considered 'clean vegetables,' so customers love them, and we sell everything we produce."

In Thach Giam commune, there are also 6 businesses operating in various fields such as construction and sand mining. Along with the local poverty alleviation movement, each business annually supports 1-2 households to escape poverty by: sand mining companies providing construction materials and building new houses; construction companies or those in other fields providing livestock, seedlings, and fish ponds. The commune also has 10 construction teams, creating regular jobs and increasing income for hundreds of young local workers.

Mr. Mac Van Nguyen also stated: With these efforts, the poverty rate in Thach Giam has decreased to 113 out of 1,145 households (9.87%), reaching the New Rural Area standard. To help households continue to overcome poverty and those already living in poverty to become well-off, the commune has identified garden-based economic development as a key focus. Therefore, it will assign tasks to each commune official and village leader to continue directly mobilizing and guiding people to fence their gardens, utilize fertile land to grow vegetables, and improve their lives. Currently, many families still leave land fallow or plant unsuitable crops, which need to be improved, not only for daily meals but also for sale in the market.

Xuan Hoang