Village Secretary sows hope for poverty alleviation in remote Northwest region

TPO - In the remote Northwest (Muong Coi commune, Son La province), people often tell stories about Mr. Nguyen Duc Cuong, Party cell secretary and head of Nghia Hung village, who made bold decisions, changed his mindset, and helped his family escape poverty and "sow" the belief in poverty escape for his hometown people.

Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong (5th from right) received the certificate honoring Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer in 2025.

Change your mindset , open a way out of poverty

Born in 1973 amidst the mountains of Muong Coi, Mr. Cuong, a son of Nghia Hung village, was honored to be recognized as an Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer in 2025. Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong's journey to success is a story of courage and deeply imbued with the spirit of community and neighborly love.

Mr. Cuong shared that while many people chose to leave their village to find work in urban areas, he decided to stay in his hometown. “I thought, if everyone leaves, our village will remain desolate and poor. But to keep the villagers here, we have to think about how to provide them with jobs, how to make the forest land generate income so they can have a comfortable life. Thinking about these things, I decided to change the mindset of agricultural production, to help myself escape poverty and provide jobs and income for the people around me,” he shared.

On the first day of his career, he opened a small motorbike repair shop on a dirt road. While working, he learned how to raise livestock and grow crops, then gradually shifted to agricultural economics . The beginning was difficult, but with perseverance, he turned his two empty hands into a respectable career.

Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong led local farmers on a tour of his family's pomelo orchard.

In 2011, Mr. Cuong boldly encouraged people in the village to convert ineffective corn and cassava growing land to growing citrus fruits such as tangerines, green-skinned grapefruits, and Dien grapefruits. Not only that, in 2018, he pioneered the application of organic farming models, using microbial compost and biological pesticides to protect the soil and the health of consumers.

At first, many people were hesitant. But when they saw his fruit-laden garden with stable productivity, they gradually believed and followed. He did not hide his profession, was willing to share his experience, provide technical support, and instruct people on how to compost, care for plants, and prevent diseases. "Seeing that I could do it, people also boldly followed. The whole village must work together to make a change," said Mr. Cuong.

Thanks to his model, dozens of households in the village have escaped poverty. Nghia Hung sweet tangerines, a product he co-founded through the Nghia Hung Fruit Growing Cooperative, have now achieved OCOP 3-star certification, becoming a source of pride for the people of Muong Coi.

Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong takes care of the grapefruit garden.

Currently, Mr. Cuong's family owns 2 hectares of fruit trees, yielding 25-30 tons per hectare annually; along with 7.5 hectares of pine and mahogany forests that are already being harvested. In addition, he has invested in a 1,000m² livestock farm, raising hundreds of breeding and commercial pigs, supplying approximately 23 tons of live pigs and 1,500 piglets to the market each year. The total income from production and business for his family exceeds 1.3 billion VND per year.

Spreading belief and aspiration for progress.

The people of Muong Coi respect him not only for enriching himself, but also for helping others escape poverty. He provides regular employment for 8 workers and seasonal work for 8-10 people, with an average income of about 9 million VND per month.

He also provided capital, seeds, and agricultural materials worth more than 5 billion VND to farmer members in the village and neighboring communes. “Mr. Cuong is a person who always thinks of others. Thanks to his help, many poor households in the village now have houses, motorbikes, and fruit-bearing gardens,” said Mr. Ha Van Sinh, Muong Coi commune.

Fruit-laden orange garden of Excellent Vietnamese Farmer 2025.

Besides being a successful businessman, Mr. Cuong is also a pioneer in building new rural areas. He and his family have repeatedly donated money and labor to build roads, cultural centers, health stations, and schools. He also actively promotes and encourages villagers to protect the environment and ensure security and order.

Thanks to dedicated people like him, Nghia Hung village has become the first village in the old Phu Yen district (Son La province) to meet the model new rural standards in 2023, contributing to helping Muong Coi commune firmly step on the journey of building an advanced new rural area by 2025.

As both Party Secretary and Village Head, Mr. Cuong always took the lead in disseminating information and encouraging villagers to change their mindset about doing business, rather than relying on others. He encouraged diversification of production models, from livestock and poultry farming to small businesses and transportation, to create additional livelihoods.

He also focuses on environmental protection in livestock farming, advocating the construction of biogas tanks to treat waste, and utilizing biogas as fuel. For poor households, he guides them to reduce the size of their herds accordingly, both to protect the environment and to save costs.

“I think building our homeland doesn’t necessarily have to start with something big. Each person contributing a little effort, a little money, a few words of encouragement… is enough to make our village brighter, cleaner, and warmer. We do it first, then the people will follow,” said Mr. Cuong.

Now, Mr. Nguyen Duc Cuong is not only a skilled farmer, but also a leading figure in sustainable poverty reduction in Muong Coi. Thanks to his model, dozens of households have escaped poverty, and many have become outstanding farmers at the district and provincial levels.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Giang, Vice President of the Farmers' Association of Muong Coi commune, said that the village is fortunate to have someone like Mr. Cuong. He not only knows how to develop the economy but also helps the entire village to develop together. Starting from nothing, Mr. Nguyen Duc Cuong has created an admirable journey, a journey of "sowing" hope, eradicating poverty, and legitimately enriching the people. "His story is not only a source of pride for the people of the highland village but also a vivid testament to the perseverance and determination of farmers in the vast Northwest mountains," Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Giang shared.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/bi-thu-ban-gieo-niem-tin-thoat-ngheo-o-reo-cao-tay-bac-post1787555.tpo