Agricultural "satellites" of Thai Hoa town.
(Baonghean)With the aim of becoming a "satellite" supplying food, especially vegetables, to the center of Thai Hoa Town, Nghia Thuan commune, located at the eastern gateway of the town, has seen many positive developments in socio-economic development...
Located along National Highway 48, Nghia Thuan commune is about 7 km from the center of Thai Hoa town. Unlike the bustling atmosphere of the capital of Northwest Nghe An province, Nghia Thuan possesses the peaceful and tranquil charm of a prosperous rural village. The sudden sunshine and wind of the Western region seem to be soothed by the green space of the 70-hectare fields of cultivated crops in Nghia Thuan. With abundant land potential, approximately 3,094 hectares, of which agricultural land accounts for one-third, mainly rice paddies (320 hectares) and other crops (70 hectares).
Following the separation of Thai Hoa town and Nghia Dan district five years ago, many administrative units of the town quickly shifted towards promoting industrial, commercial, and service development. Meanwhile, the Party Committee, government, and people of Nghia Thuan have focused on agriculture, striving to become a satellite supplier of food, especially vegetables, to meet the ever-increasing demands of Thai Hoa town, which is constantly developing both economically and in terms of population size.
In the process of implementing the orientation to become a "green" satellite, the pioneering role of Party members is paramount. In Hamlet 7B, the largest green vegetable growing area in the commune, I met one of the true "leaders" in the work of transforming the crop structure. That was Party member Vo Ta Dinh.
Leading us on a tour of the village's high-income fields, the elderly farmer excitedly shared that out of 92 households in the village, more than 20 are engaged in agriculture, and almost every household has become well-off by knowing how to keep the land "idle." As for the family of Party member Dinh, on a mere 6 sao (approximately 0.6 hectares) of land, he focuses on rotating three crops annually – vegetables, corn, and rice – bringing in a stable income. “In the winter, we grow cauliflower, cabbage, and cucumbers; in the spring, we grow corn; and in the summer, we grow rice. The quality of our winter vegetables has earned the trust of the people in Thai Hoa town, so we sell everything we produce; we don't have to worry about finding buyers,” he shared. Speaking of boldly introducing new varieties into production, Mr. Dinh was the first to boldly introduce sweet corn varieties originating from Thailand to cultivate in the village's fields a few years ago. With prices reaching as high as 2,500 VND per ear of corn right in the field, and averaging around 1,700 VND per ear, each plot of corn yields farmers an income of approximately 5 million VND.
Ms. Chu Thi Nhung, from Hamlet 7B, Nghia Thuan Commune, is sowing corn seedlings.
Following the successful example of Party member Vo Ta Dinh's family, many farming households have adopted his model, cultivating corn and achieving considerable income. Not stopping there, he continues to ponder and research, experimenting with planting a sweet purple corn variety this season. "As a farmer, when I'm attached to my fields, I'm always concerned about finding ways to maximize the yield of my land. Thanks to the crop restructuring, I've been able to almost repay the 60 million dong loan from the Social Policy Bank for my children's education. My improved life stems from the land," he concluded.
From exemplary Party members like Mr. Dinh, who spearheaded the transformation of crop structures to effectively implement the town's "green satellite" initiative, the success has truly spread to households in the area. This is evident in the joy on the faces of the simple, hardworking farmers I met right in the well-planned fields and the systematically reinforced irrigation canal system in Hamlet 7B. Take the case of farmer Pham Van Hai, for example.
Meeting him diligently weeding his corn plants, I asked about the effectiveness of the crop restructuring. He explained: "My family has 10 sao (approximately 0.1 hectares) of land, of which 5 sao have been converted to specialized cultivation of vegetables and corn. Each year, we grow one crop of vegetables and rotate three crops of rice and corn for the past few years." He then calculated: "Growing vegetables in the winter brings in about 50 million dong. Corn takes about 60 days to harvest. Growing three crops of corn a year brings in nearly another 50 million dong. The economic value is much more effective than growing rice. My family has many children, but thanks to the economic benefits from farming, our lives have improved significantly." Escaping poverty and achieving prosperity through agriculture, like in Hamlet 7B, is not uncommon. According to data from Nghia Thuan commune, the hamlet used to have one of the highest rates of poverty and near-poverty in the commune, but now it's only 0.7%.
Developing high-income agricultural fields is also a key development direction aimed at improving people's lives in the new rural development program in Nghia Thuan commune. The commune has divided its natural area into three zones with distinct characteristics: a zone specializing in growing high-value vegetables; a zone for agricultural and commercial service development; and a zone for rice cultivation and livestock farming.
Mr. Vu Huu Loi – Secretary of the Commune Party Committee shared: “In each area, we have developed economic development plans that are consistent with the planning. For example, we are developing the buffalo and cattle herd, and in the near future, we will create high-quality rice fields. This is coupled with vocational training and supplementary knowledge in farming and cultivation for the people. We strive to build the locality into a satellite supplier of clean, high-quality agricultural products to meet the consumption needs of Thai Hoa Town. Through this, we will successfully achieve both economic and social development targets and soon successfully build a New Rural Area. Currently, the commune has achieved 11 targets in building a New Rural Area.”
Thanh Duy
