"Midwife" helps Ca Dong people escape poverty sustainably.

VHO – To contribute to facilitating the consumption of agricultural products from the mountainous areas of Quang Ngai province, the Son Bua Agricultural, Forestry and Trade Service Production Cooperative has found a sustainable economic development direction for local agricultural products, bringing about positive results.

Ripe Cavendish bananas are purchased and processed by the Son Bua Agricultural, Forestry and Trade Service Production Cooperative.

In 2024, five products from the Son Bua Agricultural, Forestry and Trade Service Cooperative were evaluated, classified, and recognized as 3-star OCOP products. These include: SOBU soft dried bananas, SOBU banana syrup, dried Son Tay bamboo shoots, pickled Son Tay bamboo shoots, and Son Tay bamboo shoots marinated with garlic and chili.

These products are all developed and produced from agricultural produce that is cultivated, harvested, and supplied to the cooperative by the people of Son Tay Thuong commune.

"During the survey, I noticed that the local area has two types of banana trees, the 'mốc' banana and the 'rừng' banana, both with high nutritional content, but lacking a stable market. Meanwhile, the Ca Dong people don't know how to preserve or process the unsold bananas."

"That's also the reason why people's lives haven't improved despite receiving a lot of support with production materials, plants, and seedlings. With that in mind, I was determined to find a way to market this product," shared Ms. Le Thi Anh, Director of the cooperative.

Pointing to two bunches of ripe bananas he had just harvested, Mr. Dinh Van Phieu, from Nuoc Min village, shared that the cooperative buys bananas at a price of over 3,000 VND/kg. Instead of letting ripe bananas rot on the tree like before because they couldn't be sold, now the banana trees have helped me escape poverty.

“Ms. Anh is the one who guarantees the market for agricultural products, so now the villagers focus on doing business, developing their family economy , and have a comfortable life without relying on the State. In this highland area, Ms. Anh is considered the ‘midwife’ of the villagers; thanks to her, the lives of many families have improved,” Mr. Phieu said.

The guava trees grow naturally, and the locals take care of them, harvesting the young shoots to sell to the cooperative.

In 2025, Son Bua Agricultural, Forestry and Trade Service Cooperative will continue to register three products for OCOP product recognition: guava bud tea, products made from betel nut, and banana wine.

SOBU guava bud tea is already available in the province and surrounding areas, on the shelves of small supermarkets, with consumption reaching thousands of boxes per month. SOBU guava bud tea currently has a stable source of raw materials. The guava trees grow naturally and are cultivated and cared for by local people.

Ms. Dinh Thi Song, from Son Tay Thuong commune, Quang Ngai province, said: “I usually harvest once or twice a week. Each time I get about 15 to 20 kg. Thanks to that, I have an additional source of income to improve my life and provide for my family. Caring for them is simple, mainly just clearing weeds…”

Providing employment and stable income for more than 10 local workers.

The Son Bua Agricultural, Forestry and Trade Service Production Cooperative, run by Ms. Le Thi Anh, is currently operating very effectively. The total charter capital of the cooperative is currently over 10 billion VND with 10 contributing members.

Many products produced by the cooperative are being consumed in the market with very stable production volumes. Most products are made from native crops such as bamboo shoots (wild bamboo shoots), bananas, and fresh betel nuts…

The cooperative invests in increasingly modern equipment and production lines with a closed-loop process.

The cooperative has invested billions of dong in equipping itself with increasingly modern equipment and production lines, following a closed-loop process that ensures food safety and hygiene. This has created jobs and provided a stable income for more than 10 local workers.

"For regular employees working during office hours, the basic salary is 5 million VND. In addition, overtime work will be paid on an hourly basis," Ms. Anh said.

To ensure a stable supply of raw materials, Ms. Anh went to each household to guide people on how to care for banana trees and expand the planting area to ensure a consistent banana production. Currently, the cooperative is linked with more than 100 farming households and has expanded its banana cultivation area to over 100 hectares.

According to Ms. Anh, banana trees provide quick income and require little care, making them very suitable for people to use for economic purposes. One hectare can accommodate nearly 1,000 banana trees, yielding an annual income of over 100 million VND, higher than growing cassava or betel nuts.

Ms. Le Thi Anh, Director of Son Bua Agricultural and Forestry Production and Trade Service Cooperative, a daughter of the Ca Dong ethnic group, is a pioneer in opening up a wider market for local agricultural products.

“The dried banana products, banana syrup, and banana wine produced by the cooperative have now established a brand. The success from banana cultivation has given Ms. Anh many ideas. The cooperative has partnered with local people to expand the growing area to produce guava tea, using a cold-drying process from guava leaves and shoots. The guava tea product is popular with consumers. Every month, the cooperative supplies the market with more than 600 kg of dried bananas and hundreds of kg of guava bud tea…,” Ms. Anh added.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/dan-toc-ton-giao/ba-do-giup-dong-bao-ca-dong-thoat-ngheo-ben-vung-154143.html