Mobilizing resources to build infrastructure

In 2001, in response to the requirement of economic development combined with strengthening national defense and security in the strategic area of ​​the Central Highlands, the Ministry of National Defense issued Decision No. 2557/QD-BQP, dated October 24, 2001, establishing the Quang Son Economic-Defense Group, under Company 53 (Army Corps 12); from January 7, 2010, it was transferred to Coffee Company 15, performing tasks in the area of ​​3 communes: Quang Son, Quang Hoa and Dak R'mang, Dak Glong district, Dak Nong province, now belonging to the communes: Quang Son, Quang Hoa and Ta Dung, Lam Dong province.

Young intellectual volunteers of the Quang Son Economic-Defense Group guide the K'Ang household in Sa Na hamlet (Quang Son, Lam Dong ) to take care of the goat herd.

Looking back at 24 years of construction and development in the gateway land of the Southern Central Highlands, Senior Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Van Hien, Party Secretary and Political Commissar of the Quang Son Economic-Defense Corps affirmed: “Over the past two decades, the Quang Son Economic-Defense Corps has mobilized huge resources to develop infrastructure in communes in the project area; especially effectively implementing national target programs, supporting ethnic minorities to settle down and sustainably eliminate poverty.”

Specifically, the Quang Son Economic-Defense Group has mobilized more than 100 billion VND to invest in infrastructure in the project area. These include: Construction of 17.5 km of medium and low voltage power lines, providing electricity for 636 households; construction of 75.1 km of rural roads, 5 irrigation dams, with 12.5 km of canals, ensuring irrigation water for more than 1,000 hectares of various crops; drilling 6 wells and digging 66 wells to provide domestic water for people; building 22 new classrooms, 1 infirmary with 15 beds; reclaiming 580.5 hectares of land, clearing 12 hectares of bombs and mines to provide residential and production land for people in the project area.

Quang Son Economic-Defense Group has received and organized stable settlement for 508 households, with 2,101 people, mainly poor ethnic minorities in hamlet 4, Dak Snao hamlet and Dak Snao 2 hamlet, Quang Son commune. Each household was granted 1,000m2 of residential land, 1ha of production land and supported from 3.8 to 7 million VND, with the total budget of Quang Son Economic-Defense Group to support migration to the project area being 2.32 billion VND. In addition, Quang Son Economic-Defense Group also coordinated with local Party committees and authorities to stabilize the lives of 11,205 households, with 53,312 people in 41 hamlets, villages and residential clusters of 3 communes in the project area. Thanks to the investment resources mobilized by Quang Son Economic-Defense Group, up to now, Quang Son commune has achieved 15 criteria; Quang Hoa and Ta Dung communes achieved 13 criteria in new rural construction.

Help people to overcome poverty sustainably

Talking to us about the contributions of the Quang Son Economic-Defense Corps soldiers in the land of many difficulties in Lam Dong province, comrade Vo Van Viet, Head of the Party Building Committee, Quang Son Commune Party Committee, who used to be the Secretary of the Quang Son Commune Party Committee for the 2020-2025 term, noted: “It can be said that the greatest and most effective contribution of the Quang Son Economic-Defense Corps over the past decades is that the next generation continues the previous generation. Uncle Ho's soldiers always work with the local Party Committee and authorities to take care of stabilizing people's lives, helping people eliminate hunger, reduce poverty, and build a prosperous life. In addition, the Quang Son Economic-Defense Corps soldiers join hands to take care of developing healthcare, education, preserving traditional culture, and strengthening national defense and security. The Quang Son Economic-Defense Corps also sustainably protects more than 5,550 hectares of natural forests and restores 235.76 hectares of planted forests.”

Soldiers of the Quang Son Economic-Defense Group instruct Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nay's family in Bon Rbut (Quang Son, Lam Dong) on ​​techniques for pruning and grafting coffee trees.

We, along with Captain Bach Dinh Minh, Captain of Team 18 (Quang Son Economic-Defense Force), "witnessed" some models that effectively help people reduce poverty in Rbut and Sa Na hamlets, Quang Son commune. Specifically, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nay's household in Rbut hamlet has 1.3 hectares of old coffee, planted since 2007, with low productivity in recent years, and is also a poor household, so in 2023, based on the request of Team 18 and the Party Committee, Rbut hamlet Self-management Board, Quang Son Economic-Defense Force supported Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nay's household to cut and graft to renovate 3 sao of coffee with a total cost of 20 million VND from the unit's capital. In 2024, the cut and grafted coffee area will yield 800 kg of fresh fruit, in 2025 it is expected to yield 6 tons of fresh fruit, with a yield of 25 tons of fresh fruit/ha. Similarly, in 2023, the K'Tong and K'Ang households in Bon Sa Na were also given breeding animals by the Quang Son Economic-Defense Force to implement a model of raising cows and goats for breeding with a support fund of 20 million VND/household. From 2024 to now, from breeding cows and goats, the K'Tong and K'Ang households have had an additional income of 30 to 40 million VND/year, thanks to which their lives are more prosperous.

As a result of the implementation of the National Target Program "Army attached to villages and hamlets in ethnic minority and mountainous areas", in 2022 and 2023, the Quang Son Economic-Defense Force deployed 5 livestock and crop models, supporting 251 poor ethnic minority households in 3 communes in the project area, with a total budget of more than 3 billion VND, up to now, 171 households have escaped poverty. In 2024 and 2025, the Quang Son Economic-Defense Force continued to deploy models to about 110 households, opening up opportunities for poor ethnic minority households in the project area to escape poverty. In addition, from the unit's capital fund, the Quang Son Economic-Defense Force also supported 105 poor households in the project area with shoots, fertilizers and technical guidance on grafting and renovating 38.5 hectares of coffee. Now the coffee garden has produced outstandingly high yields.

Officials of the Quang Son Economic-Defense Group trained K'Diep household in Sa Na hamlet (Quang Son, Lam Dong) in grafting and coffee renovating techniques.

It can be said that in the poverty reduction journey of the people of Quang Son, Quang Hoa, Ta Dung communes, they have been receiving the "shoulder to shoulder" support of the Quang Son Economic-Defense Corps. They are always struggling to find a direction and build effective models for replication. Thanks to that, the poverty rate of the communes in the project area has decreased rapidly, up to now Quang Son commune is 4.29%, Quang Hoa is 13.1%, Ta Dung is 9.5%. The project area of ​​the Quang Son Economic-Defense Corps has truly "changed its skin"; the lives of the people, especially the ethnic minorities in the southernmost land of the Central Highlands are increasingly prosperous.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/bo-doi-mang-no-am-ve-quang-son-1015324