The story of getting rich in impoverished land.

Three disadvantaged areas of the province – Cao Tan, Co Linh, and Cong Bang – have merged to form Cao Minh commune. New vitality has emerged in these former lands; opportunities for breakthroughs in socio-economic development are spreading, promising a bright future.

Thanks to the application of scientific and technological advancements and the introduction of new varieties into mass production, rice yields in Cao Minh commune have reached nearly 47 quintals/hectare. In the photo: Farmers in Na Quang village harvesting their rice crop.

Opportunity for a breakthrough

Shortly after Typhoon Bualoi passed, Typhoon Matmo struck, devastating many areas of Thai Nguyen province with heavy rain and flooding. Cao Minh commune also suffered severe damage, but the local officials and residents promptly worked to overcome the consequences and quickly stabilize their lives and production. Peace has now returned to the countryside.

Sharing with us, Comrade Lam Van Dien, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Commune Party Committee, said: Cao Minh has 33 villages, with more than 2,600 households and nearly 12,500 people belonging to 5 main ethnic groups: Tay, Nung, Dao, Mong, and Kinh. Currently, 100% of the villages have access to the national power grid. The roads from the commune center to the villages are mostly paved with concrete. The average income is over 21 million VND/person/year. Currently, the commune still has nearly 1,800 poor and near-poor households.

To help Cao Minh gradually overcome its difficulties, the State has invested and supported the locality with billions of dong to build social welfare facilities. Poor and near-poor households have all received attention and support from the State in terms of capital, plant and animal breeds, science and technology... to develop their economy and stabilize their lives.

In the last five years alone, the State has invested over 160 billion VND in basic infrastructure construction in Cao Minh commune, with 63 projects implemented. The national target program for sustainable poverty reduction has also been implemented with a total capital of over 6.6 billion VND, including 21 projects involving 374 households.

During the same period, the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas implemented 17 projects, involving 452 households, with a total investment of over 10.7 billion VND.

From the center of the commune, looking up at the patches of rice paddies clinging to the steep hillsides, we could see glimpses of people hunched over, working in the fields, which gave us a fuller appreciation for the diligent and hardworking spirit of the people here.

Mr. Ta Van Sin, from Khen Len village, is a prime example. Without government support, his family would have to live in a leaky, drafty house. From 2020 to the present, Mr. Sin and 560 households in the commune have received government assistance to build new houses, including 150 houses in Cao Tan, 200 in Co Linh, and 210 in Cong Bang.

The area is vast, with the furthest village located 24km from the commune center. Particularly due to the complex terrain, with steep hills, deep ravines, and fields that are primarily dependent on rainwater, the entire commune has over 1,100 hectares of agricultural land, with 928 hectares dedicated to rice cultivation, but only 562 hectares are suitable for two rice crops per year.

In the villages of Na Chao, Phieng Luong, Coc Nghe, Na Lai, etc., most of the fields are terraced. Despite these difficulties, in recent years, the people of Cao Minh have flexibly applied and focused investment in agricultural and forestry production, shifting towards commodity production and improving product quality.

It's no longer a difficult area.

To succeed in economic development, local authorities actively coordinate with relevant state agencies to strengthen the organization of training courses to transfer scientific and technical knowledge in crop cultivation and livestock farming to the people; build exemplary economic models, and only when they prove effective will they be widely disseminated.

Most of the land used for single-crop rice cultivation is then used by farmers to plant additional crops such as winter corn and vegetables after the harvest. Areas of land used for less productive rice, corn, and other crops are converted to growing crops with higher economic value.

The Cao Minh area has been transforming thanks to pioneering farmers in the fight against poverty. Mr. Duong Van Phu, from Hung Thinh village, is a prime example. He said: "Previously, the land was used for firewood. Thanks to guidance from agricultural officials on planting and caring for fruit trees, I boldly dedicated 3 hectares of land to planting tangerines and oranges. By proactively applying science and technology, the fruit trees yield 21 tons of fruit per harvest, bringing in an income of 420 million VND."

From their 2 hectares of tangerine trees, Mrs. Duong Thach's family in Hung Thinh village earns over 100 million VND per harvest.

Generations of farmers in Cao Minh commune have transformed a poor area through their own creative labor. Through the management and guidance of local leaders, farmers in Cao Minh commune have gradually abandoned fragmented farming practices and moved towards concentrated commodity production.

Based on production realities, crops suitable for the soil conditions of each area in the commune are selected and developed on a large scale. For example, the Cao Tan area has seedless persimmons, chestnuts, ginger, turmeric, and vegetables. The Co Linh area has cardamom and turmeric. The Cong Bang area has peanuts, soybeans, sweet potatoes, tangerines, and taro.

Families who have become wealthy on their own land are becoming increasingly common, such as the Ma Van Hoanh family in Ban Cam. With 1 hectare of land planted with tangerines, thanks to proper technical care, the orchard has brought a considerable and stable income to the family.

Meanwhile, Mr. Hoang Van Dai from Coc Nghe village said: "I boldly converted 2 hectares of mixed orchard land to planting mandarin oranges. For more than 3 years now, the orchard has yielded 16 tons of fruit per harvest, bringing my family an income of over 320 million VND."

The cattle fattening model has brought additional income of nearly 600 million VND per year to the family of Mr. Duong Van Thanh in Khuoi Tra village.

Under the market mechanism, most agricultural products are bought and sold directly from farmers' gardens by private traders, eliminating price manipulation. A positive aspect is the expansion of the local trade network in recent years; in addition to the three markets, there are more than 40 organizations and individuals involved in providing services for buying and selling agricultural, forestry, and household goods.

The bustling buying and selling scene is vivid evidence of a region experiencing significant progress, with the economic lives of its people improving. While the average income in 2020 was 18.5 million VND/person/year, it is projected to reach 21.3 million VND/person/year by 2024.

Although the income level is still modest, for the people of Cao Minh commune, it is a success in transforming their way of thinking and doing things. Especially after the merger into a new commune, a new vitality has emerged, enabling Cao Minh to gradually move forward, no longer a disadvantaged area...

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202510/chuyen-lam-giau-tren-dat-ngheo-043432f/