National Target Program for Economic Development

Leveraging their potential and strengths in cultural identity, climate, and soil conditions, the mountainous districts of Thanh Hoa province have been creating key products with unique characteristics, contributing to the socio-economic development of the locality.

National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Regions: Leveraging Potential and Strengths, Developing Distinctive Products of Mountainous Areas Muong Lat district is building a brand for the Cay Noi glutinous rice variety. Photo: Provided.

Promote the transformation of crop and livestock structures.

Over the years, mountainous localities have actively transformed their crop and livestock structures, selecting and developing agricultural products suitable to local production conditions and potential strengths to become key products. From there, they have selected and encouraged businesses to develop these products into local OCOP (One Commune One Product) products.

In the mountainous border district of Muong Lat, the locality has consistently received attention from the province and various levels and sectors over the years, prioritizing resources for infrastructure investment, economic development, and stabilizing the lives of the local people. Implementing Resolution No. 11-NQ/TU dated September 29, 2022, of the Provincial Party Committee on the construction and development of Muong Lat district until 2030, with a vision to 2045, the People's Committee of Muong Lat district issued Plan No. 91-KH-UBND dated May 11, 2023, on the development of agricultural, forestry, and fisheries production in Muong Lat district. Currently, Muong Lat district is strengthening measures to promote and encourage self-reliance and self-improvement among its people to escape poverty. Raising awareness of people's production practices and mindset, fostering consensus and mobilizing resources, and integrating various sources of investment capital for socio-economic development are crucial for achieving sustainable poverty reduction. This will contribute to changing people's mindset of dependence on government support and fostering their will to overcome poverty.

Based on an analysis of land, soil, and climate conditions, Muong Lat district is maintaining a stable area of wet rice cultivation (approximately 1,120 hectares) and upland rice cultivation (approximately 1,070 hectares) to ensure local food security. High-yielding, high-quality rice varieties suitable to the local soil and climate conditions are being introduced to increase production; several specialty rice and crop varieties such as Cay Noi sticky rice, Mac Khen sticky rice, and Mong non-sticky rice are being selected for development into OCOP (One Commune One Product) products. Muong Lat district is also reviewing and planning three types of forests in the area; reviewing land use plans, planning large-scale concentrated production and livestock farming areas, and areas with concentrated populations and specialized production of key agricultural products. Livestock and poultry farming is being promoted towards commercial production, making it a major production sector of the district. Focus on developing the breeding of buffaloes, cattle, and specialty livestock, including indigenous breeds such as: Black Mong chickens, Ri chickens, short-necked ducks, Mong pigs, Man pigs, forest-hybrid pigs, and grass-fed pigs, linked with building product brands and developing medicinal plants under the forest canopy.

Previously, cassava was only grown on a small scale and had low value. However, thanks to the involvement of local Party committees and authorities, the support of businesses, and the consensus of the people, cassava is now showing promise as one of the crops contributing to poverty reduction in the border region of Muong Lat. Currently, the total area planted with cassava in Muong Lat is nearly 3,000 hectares, mainly concentrated in the communes of Muong Ly, Tam Chung, Trung Ly, and scattered in other communes in the district. With the climate and soil conditions considered suitable for cassava cultivation, the yield and productivity in the 2023 crop were quite high, contributing to improving living standards and helping people escape poverty.

It is worth remembering that in August 2023, the Thanh Hoa Agricultural Institute, in coordination with the People's Committee of Muong Lat district, organized a conference to announce and hand over the research results and the construction of the Soil and Agricultural Chemistry map of Muong Lat district. This is a very important document for Muong Lat district to use as a scientific and practical basis for directing the work of building production plans and arranging crop structures suitable to the land and socio-economic conditions of the district, contributing to the early realization of the goal of Muong Lat escaping poverty by 2030. Muong Lat district strives to have 2 communes achieving the New Rural Area standard by 2025. The total average annual food production in the period 2021-2025 is expected to reach 13,000 tons or more. The average per capita income in rural areas is expected to reach 25 million VND/person/year or more by 2025 (an increase of 1.2 times compared to 2020). Forest cover will reach 80% by 2030...

In the mountainous district of Nhu Xuan, leveraging its local potential and strengths, the district has focused on developing key agricultural and livestock products such as oranges, pomelos, tea, and buffalo and cattle farming. Among these, tea is a traditional crop deeply rooted in the lives of farmers, contributing to sustainable poverty reduction and increased income for the people. To create momentum for the development of tea production and processing, Nhu Xuan district has implemented solutions to develop large-scale tea raw material areas linked to production and consumption. Tea is widely grown in the communes of Cat Tan, Hoa Quy, and Binh Luong. Nhu Xuan district has approved the project "Development of tea raw material areas for processing and export in Nhu Xuan district, giai đoạn 2021-2025 and orientation to 2030". Currently, the entire Nhu Xuan district has developed over 150 hectares of tea.

Developing advantageous products in mountainous regions.

On November 24, 2022, the People's Committee of Thanh Hoa province issued Decision No. 4079/QD-UBND approving the Project "Development of advantageous crop, livestock, medicinal plant, and product models in the mountainous areas of Thanh Hoa province, giai đoạn 2022-2025". The project aims to support the development of production models suitable for each region, focusing on restructuring crop and livestock production. Through leveraging the advantages of mountainous areas, the project seeks to achieve high economic efficiency, create jobs, increase household income, sustainably reduce poverty in ethnic minority and mountainous regions, and narrow the gap in living standards and income between people in mountainous areas and lowland areas.

National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Regions: Leveraging Potential and Strengths, Developing Distinctive Products of Mountainous Areas Residents of Co Lung commune (Ba Thuoc district) are developing the breeding of a local specialty duck breed. Photo: H.D.

The goal by 2025 is to exploit the potential advantages of the mountainous region, promoting 33 models of crops, livestock, medicinal plants, and advantageous products to build production development models suitable for each region. This will create livelihoods and jobs for approximately 3,500 households in the mountainous areas of the province (households owning the models and laborers from poor households working regularly in these models).

The crops identified as advantageous in the mountainous areas are: Cay Noi sticky rice, white pumpkin, and peach cultivation in Muong Lat district; betel nut-grain sticky rice cultivation in Ngoc Lac and Cam Thuy districts; temperate vegetable cultivation in Ba Thuoc and Thuong Xuan districts; intercropping of Terminalia catappa and Aquilaria under the forest canopy for incense processing, and organic tea cultivation in Nhu Xuan district; and Kim Tan sugarcane and pineapple cultivation in Thach Thanh district. Regarding livestock, native ducks, chickens, and pigs are raised in 11 mountainous districts; bamboo rat farming is practiced in Lang Chanh, Ba Thuoc, Nhu Thanh, and Nhu Xuan districts; and sturgeon farming is in Quan Son. Cultivation of valuable medicinal plants is also practiced in Ba Thuoc, Lang Chanh, and Cam Thuy districts.

To effectively implement the project, localities and the province have been implementing important solutions such as strengthening the restoration, preservation, and development of some traditional native plant and animal breeds and those with development advantages in mountainous districts. Focus is placed on effectively implementing Resolution No. 13-NQ/TU dated January 10, 2019, of the Provincial Party Committee on land consolidation for large-scale agricultural production using high technology by 2025, with a vision to 2030. Science and technology are being applied in all stages of production, from seeds, materials, fertilizers, infrastructure, livestock housing, and technical production methods. A number of on-site preliminary processing and processing facilities are being established, along with the development of brands, product origin, intellectual property, and brand protection policies; the construction of a traceability information system; product introduction and promotion; and OCOP product registration. Strengthening promotion and seeking markets for products... At the same time, calling on businesses to participate in coordinating and investing in the implementation and consumption of products, increasing the value of crops and livestock. Mountainous localities should focus on directing efforts to gradually improve the quantity and quality of agricultural products in their areas.

In addition to the proactive efforts of local authorities, the central and provincial governments also provide financial support to mountainous districts and ethnic minority areas to develop key local products. This involves integrating funding from three national target programs, including the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas (2021-2030), Phase I: from 2021 to 2025 (referred to as Program 1719). The Provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 182/KH-UBND dated July 4, 2023, on implementing content No. 03 under Sub-project 2, Project 3: Promoting business start-ups, entrepreneurship, and attracting investment in ethnic minority and mountainous areas under Program 1719, aiming to contribute to improving the skills and awareness of ethnic minority and mountainous people regarding entrepreneurship and business start-ups. To foster the entrepreneurial spirit and creative potential of each organization, individual, and business based on the potential, strengths, and available resources in mountainous areas, thereby attracting investment to these areas.

Together with the Project "Development of advantageous crop, livestock, medicinal plant, and product models in the mountainous areas of Thanh Hoa province giai đoạn 2022-2025" and the implementation of Program 1719 in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, this creates favorable conditions and an important impetus for local Party committees, authorities, and people to implement local socio-economic development programs, stabilize the lives of ethnic minorities, and contribute to the overall development of Thanh Hoa province.

Ngoc Huan

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