Dynamic highland village chief says 'no' to poverty

With a house right next to the main road passing through Xop Nhi village, the 2022 rice crop of Mr. Lo Van Thin's family - Head of Xop Nhi village, Huu Lap commune (Ky Son) and many other households was almost completely lost due to the flood. Even the solid asphalt road passing through the center of the commune was chopped up by the flood water, many sections were swept away into the river.

“If this season fails, we will do it again. To help people have the spirit to continue production and prevent hunger and poverty from attacking, the village executive committee has agreed that cadres and party members must do it first,” said Mr. Thin. Practicing goes hand in hand with doing, Mr. Lo Van Thin continues to take care of his livestock and grow many other crops besides rice to improve his income.

Village chief Lo Van Thin is one of the pioneers in growing fruit trees in Huu Lap. Photo: HT

From the end of 2022 until now, in addition to fertilizing 3 sao of rice fields, the Chief of Xop Nhi village has also raised a herd of 20 cows; dozens of chickens and geese; and planted more fruit trees such as guava, banana and 1 hectare of elephant grass to fatten cattle.

Coming to Xop Nhi village, Huu Lap commune of Ky Son border district in early April, all the villages here are bustling with an urgent atmosphere of labor and house construction. At the commune headquarters at this time, many cadres are absent, because according to the Party Secretary of the commune, Ven Van Khut, "the cadres all take the opportunity to go down to the village to build houses for the poor".

April is also the season for spring-summer rice production, combined with harvesting some plants such as bamboo, so people and officials are even busier. The same goes for the village chief of Xop Nhi Lo Van Thin. Meeting him at the gathering place for materials to build houses for the poor right in the center of the village, he said, "For the past week, the commune and village officials in Huu Lap have been leaving their houses early every day and returning late at night because they are still worried about working with the households to complete the assembly of houses on schedule. Besides, they also have to take advantage of the time to harvest agricultural products."

Pointing to the garden not far from his house, Mr. Thin said that the bamboo garden along the stream in his family's yard has been around for 20 years. With regular care, pruning, and clearing of vegetation, the bamboo garden brings in tens of millions of dong each year from selling plants and bamboo shoots.

Each season, the family harvests about 300 kg of bamboo shoots, selling them for 10,000 VND/kg, which also brings in a decent income. In addition, selling mature bamboo shoots, depending on the young, old, big, or small size of the tree, also fetches a price of 15,000 - 40,000 VND/tree depending on the time. Each season, about 60 - 100 bamboo shoots are sold.

The bamboo garden and rice fields of Mr. Thin's family (in blue shirt) provide a stable annual income. Photo: HT

Not only is he hard-working and proactive in choosing plant and animal varieties for production, village chief Lo Van Thin also understands the consumption needs of local people to open a grocery store, helping his family have a good source of income and creating jobs for his relatives. Village chief Xop Nhi said, "As long as you are diligent, willing to learn and apply livestock and farming techniques, you will soon escape poverty and become prosperous."

Party Secretary of Huu Lap Commune Ven Van Khut said that in Huu Lap, Mr. Thin's dynamic economic practices have been followed by many households, forming a concentrated rice production area and growing bamboo and mulberry combined with raising livestock quite effectively. From the habit of raising cattle and buffalo in remote areas, in recent years, people have switched to growing elephant grass for confinement, which makes cattle and buffalo fat and reduces disease and damage compared to when they are raised freely in the mountains and hills.

"When cadres are active in economic activities like Mr. Thin, and take the lead in doing so, it is easier to propagate to people to strive to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty. Because cadres have done effectively, many times without needing to mobilize people, they will voluntarily follow suit. In addition to doing good economic activities, for many years, village chief Lo Van Thin and party members of Xop Nhi cell have also effectively implemented Directive 17/CT-HU of Ky Son District Party Committee on party members participating in helping poor households escape poverty" - Secretary of the Party Committee of Ven Van Khut commune affirmed.