Mountainous commune in Nghe An converts crops to ensure power grid safety

Previously, in Yen Hop commune, people growing acacia trees for raw materials affected the safety of the high-voltage power grid. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Previously, underpower grid safety corridor, Mr. Le Minh Khoa's family (Hop Thanh hamlet, Yen Hop commune) grows acacia. The acacia trees are tall so during the rainy and stormy season they often break and collide with electric wires, causing short circuits.

On the other hand, when harvesting, the height of acacia trees reaches 20-30m, making it very difficult to exploit. There have been cases where, when cutting acacia trees, the trees got entangled in electric wires, causing local power outages. However, leaving the land bare is a waste; meanwhile, growing other crops takes a lot of time to care for.

At the end of 2022, when the People's Committee of the commune has a plan aboutcrop conversionunder the power grid safety corridor, he registered to participate. Currently, on the land area under the high voltage grid, he has switched to growing black tea trees. After 2 months of planting, the trees are growing well. This type of tree is well adapted to soil and climate conditions, and is a perennial tree, planted once, harvested for 7-8 years before needing to be replaced.

The black tea tree was planted by Mr. Le Minh Khoa to replace the acacia tree. Photo: Thanh Phuc

In addition, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Minh's household has also registered to plant black tea trees to replace acacia trees under the high-voltage grid. Mrs. Minh said: "After listening to the government's advice, receiving support from superiors in terms of initial investment costs, training in planting techniques, and product consumption, I agreed to convert. It is both beneficial for family economic development and ensures the safety of the grid."

Starting from October 2022, Yen Hop Commune People's Committee has developed a plan on "Building a Tree Planting Model"medicinal herbsunder the high voltage grid”. This is a model of converting the crop structure on the land in the power grid corridor to protect the safety corridor of the 35kV high voltage grid, avoiding short circuits causing local power outages in the area. At the same time, ensuring the utilization of land under the 35kV high voltage grid corridor, contributing to land improvement and household economic development.

Under the power grid safety corridor are medicinal plants with low canopy (less than 2m), bringing high economic efficiency. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Mr. Chu Ngoc Tan - Vice Chairman in charge of economy, Yen Hop Commune People's Committee said: "The plan to convert crop structure on land in the 35kV high-voltage grid corridor is part of the commune's economic development plan for the period 2021-2025.

Accordingly, households participating in the conversion will be supported with funding for seeds, materials, and fertilizers; will be trained in science and technology, and will have their products purchased. Accordingly, the total area for implementing the model is 5 hectares in 3 routes: Route 1: From Trong Canh hamlet to De hamlet; Route 2: From Thai Lao hamlet to Boc hamlet; Route 3: From Cau Da hamlet to Khang hamlet. The total cost of implementing the model is 300 million VND.

Up to now, 1.5 hectares of medicinal herbs under the power grid infrastructure are gradually replacing acacia trees. All agricultural chemicals of households are fully purchased by the cooperative. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Up to this point, the whole Yen Hop commune has had 30 households converting acacia trees to grow medicinal plants under the high voltage grid with an area of ​​nearly 1.5 hectares. According to initial assessment, medicinal plants such as: Solanum procumbens, purple leaf khôi, xạ đen, bach bo, macadamia, and ginseng grow well, with low investment capital, no need for care and a long exploitation cycle of 7-10 years. In particular, the medicinal plants that people produce are completely consumed by a cooperative located in the area.

Recently, in many localities in the province, violations of power grid safety corridors are still common, causing electrical incidents and posing potential dangers to people.

Currently, the planting of acacia trees that affect the safety of the power grid is quite common. Periodically, the Electricity industry has to go and clear the trees. Photo: CSCC

Therefore, the conversion of crop structure under the power grid corridor is very urgent, both to ensure grid safety and to bring sustainable economic efficiency to the people. And the model of growing medicinal herbs under the power grid safety corridor in Yen Hop (Quy Hop) needs to be replicated...