Transforming barren land into a multi-million dollar orchard.

On the once barren fields and hillsides used for growing corn and rice, Mr. Ly Phu Chiu in Ta Chai village, Ta Phin commune (Sa Pa town) has found a new direction, greening the infertile land with a highly effective ornamental plant cultivation model. Not only is he a pioneer, but he also inspires a change in economic development thinking in the village.

A corner of the peach orchard belonging to Mr. Ly Phu Chieu's family.

Every morning, on the windy hillside of Ta Chai village, a Hmong man with calloused hands meticulously bends and trims each branch of peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, and orchid pots. That man is Ly Phu Chieu – the first in Ta Chai village to dare to convert all his cornfields and rice paddies into ornamental plant cultivation.

Mr. Ly Phu Chieu is trimming the ornamental plants.

In 2017, when growing corn and rice no longer yielded the expected results, Mr. Chìu decided to convert the entire area to growing peach, apricot, and orchid trees. However, in the beginning, he only experienced failure: the trees died, did not bloom, or bloomed at the wrong time... The reasons were his lack of capital for care, lack of experience and technique, and not knowing who to learn from.

Nevertheless, with his diligent nature, perseverance, and willingness to learn, Mr. Ly Phu Chieu found a way to make the trees bloom at the right time, with a high survival rate despite the harsh weather conditions of Sa Pa. The ornamental trees are shaped into many beautiful forms to suit consumer tastes. His family's production model is gradually becoming effective. "If you're not careful, the tree will break; if you don't bend it correctly, it won't take shape. I gradually learned from the artisans in Nam Dinh , and eventually I succeeded. Now I know how to care for the flowers so they bloom at the right time for Tet," he said.

Commune officials (right in the photo) visit the peach orchard model of Mr. Chìu's family.

Currently, Mr. Chìu's family owns over 1,000 peach trees, 800 apricot trees, and nearly 600 pots of orchids. Their annual revenue is estimated at nearly 1 billion VND.

What's admirable is that Mr. Chìu didn't keep his success to himself. Mr. Giàng Seo Páo, from Tả Chải village, Tả Phìn commune, Sa Pa town, who currently has nearly 300 peach trees, shared: "The people here only grow corn and rice to make a living. When I saw Mr. Chìu succeeding, I also learned and followed suit. Mr. Chìu enthusiastically guided me on how to mix soil, bend branches, calculate the right time to prune buds..."

Besides sharing his experience, Mr. Chìu actively encouraged villagers to switch crops and proactively invited traders to come directly to the farm to purchase their produce, creating a stable market. To date, 50% of households in Tả Chải have converted part or all of their agricultural land to growing peach blossoms and orchids, forming a specialized area for Tet (Lunar New Year) flowers.

Mr. Chìu actively shares his experience with the villagers.

Chìu's family currently provides regular employment for 6 workers, along with more than 10 seasonal workers during peak seasons. Many households have escaped poverty by learning from Chìu's business model.

Mr. Ly Cu Menh, Vice Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Ta Phin commune, commented: "Mr. Chieu is a pioneer in growing ornamental plants and flowers in Ta Chai. Not only is he successful in business, but he is also willing to share his experience. The commune is replicating this economic development model in other villages to improve the lives of local people, making their lives more prosperous and beautiful."

The business model of Mr. Ly Phu Chieu's family creates jobs for many local workers.

From a poor farmer who refused to accept his fate, Ly Phu Chieu found a way to become wealthy on his homeland.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/bien-dat-can-thanh-vuon-cay-bac-ty-post403147.html