Proudly representing the brand "Con Cuong Forestry Farm"

(Baonghean)It wasn't until the 65th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's "Call for Patriotic Emulation" (June 11, 1948 - June 11, 2013) that I was able to fulfill my wish to visit the Con Cuong forest farm of Labor Hero Nguyen Ngoc Lai, where the patriotic emulation movement has shone brightly for the past 50 years.

Under the scorching sun of Con Cuong, the "furnace" of the region, Deputy Director of the Forestry Station Nguyen Ngoc Lam drove us to revisit the forest that once captivated the local people and the entire country. Four generations of forestry professionals accompanied us: Director Nguyen Duc Son, Deputy Director Nguyen Ngoc Lam, young engineer Ngoc Anh, and in the front seat of the car sat the former Director, two-time Labor Hero Nguyen Ngoc Lai.

The sun was blazing, but our car glided smoothly through the lush green shade of the mangrove forests, the Terminalia catappa trees, and the Rhus chinensis trees. Director Nguyen Duc Son pointed ahead and said to me, "This road connects Con Cuong town with Khe Kem waterfall, one of the famous scenic spots of Nghe An and Central Vietnam. Previously, it was called the Forestry Road because, through human effort, the forestry station itself built the road into the remote area to exploit, improve forest resources, and plant new forests."

The car glided smoothly over the sharp curves, and I felt like I was dreaming in a green paradise. Suddenly, Mr. Lai's voice echoed from the front of the car: "Stop!" It turned out that Mr. Lai wanted to admire the forest of Vang trees, the very type of tree he had spent months searching for in the deep forest, then decided to bring back to cultivate and propagate. This tree had later become one of the key species that quickly reforested the area. This initiative, with its significant economic and forestry value, affirmed the title of Hero of Labor during the đổi mới (renovation) period for the Con Cuông Forestry Enterprise, and Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Lai was awarded the title of Hero of Labor for the second time by the State (in 2002).



Labor Hero Nguyen Ngoc Lai (front) and the Board of Directors of Con Cuong Forestry Company Limited visit the planted forest.

Director Nguyen Duc Son, along with young staff members, led former Director Nguyen Ngoc Lai on a tour of the forest. He introduced his predecessor, a man who had made significant contributions to the local forest and the Con Cuong Forestry Station, saying, "Your work and ideas, sir, have been effectively preserved and developed by the younger generation." Looking at the forests of Terminalia catappa, Terminalia arjuna, and other trees nearing harvest, Mr. Lai smiled with joy. He slowly said, "If we hadn't had the courage and conviction, the Con Cuong Forestry Station would no longer exist, and it's questionable whether this area would even still be called a forest."

From a forest worker to the head of a socialist labor team, then the leader of the Trung Chinh socialist labor team, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Lai was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Badge (in 1973) and was bestowed the title of Hero of Labor for the first time by the State (in 1985).

Returning to the forestry station headquarters, Director Nguyen Duc Son began: “Forestry work faces countless difficulties, and the management mechanisms change so frequently that sometimes, before we can even implement one policy, another one comes along. The station is overwhelmed by the changes in policies, mechanisms, and regulations. But before each difficulty, we always remember the years before, when Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Lai was the Director of the forestry station. The difficulties were ten or even a hundred times greater then, but with steadfast leadership and the trust of the workers, we gradually moved the forestry station forward.”

The younger generation is continuing to study and apply the lessons learned from their predecessors. First and foremost, they are building unity and solidarity within the Party committee, in each branch, and throughout the entire unit, paying attention to and caring for all aspects of the workers' lives. Recalling the days of arduous labor in the freezing cold, Director Nguyen Ngoc Lai instructed the logistics team to prepare enough hot water for workers to shower every evening. Now, the unit's leadership takes care of everything from meals to accommodation for all workers, and families have gardens and forests for production to improve their living standards.

The lesson learned from the forestry station is that it is necessary to regularly launch emulation movements, each with specific criteria linking collective interests with individual rights, and with strict reward and punishment regulations. Many past incidents are now even more poignant: some people who were punished later in life even thanked the director after retirement, because after that punishment, they understood more about the role of collective ownership and were subsequently rewarded many times.

In particular, Director Nguyen Ngoc Lai has twice punished himself, with penalties always heavier than those imposed on the workers. According to him: "When leaders make mistakes, the consequences are greater, so they must bear higher responsibility." In recent years, the forest farm's leadership has continued to learn and apply this method, achieving positive results: "Internal unity and cohesion, production and business development, and the continued maintenance and improvement of forest resources." An important lesson is the rapid application of scientific and technological advancements to management, production, and business. Currently, the forest farm has over 70 hectares of various tree species under the brand "Con Cuong Forest Farm." Most of the seedlings are propagated from native trees, are of good quality, suitable for the environment, and resistant to pests and diseases.

Overcoming all difficulties and challenges, Con Cuong Forestry Farm has consistently affirmed its position as a profitable production and business unit, ensuring the reforestation of barren land and hills, protecting and continuously upgrading the 8,423 hectares of forest land assigned to it. Average revenue over the past five years has reached 10 to 11 billion VND per year; annual tax contributions range from 1.6 to 2.2 billion VND, and the lives of its workers are stable and steadily improving. The Forestry Farm has been assessed by the LEAF Project (Belgium) as having 90% medium and rich forest, affirming its commitment to preserving and maintaining forest resources.

In the near future, Con Cuong Forestry Farm will be granted Carbon certification, an international certification for forest quality. Products from Con Cuong Forestry Farm will have value in the domestic and international markets. The unit has continuously received prestigious awards from the Party, the State, and Nghe An province: Heroic Labor Collective during the đổi mới (renovation) period (2002), First-Class Labor Medal (2007), Third-Class Independence Medal (2011), and for many consecutive years from 2000 to the present, it has been awarded the Flag of Excellent Emulation Unit by the People's Committee of Nghe An province.

The staff and workers of Con Cuong Forestry Farm are always proud of their collective title as Hero of Labor during the đổi mới (renovation) period, proud of Director Nguyen Ngoc Lai, who has been awarded the title of Hero of Labor twice by the State, and proud of the brand "Con Cuong Forestry Farm," where the patriotic emulation movement always shines.

Hong Quang Mausoleum (Yen Thanh District)