The path out of poverty through production linkages.

TPO - In recent years, many households in the western part of Quang Ngai province have boldly moved away from small-scale farming to participate in production linkage models. From cultivation to consumption, they are closely linked with businesses and cooperatives, helping to stabilize agricultural product output and increase income. These models are opening up a sustainable path, helping hundreds of ethnic minority households in the highlands escape poverty and gradually take control of their livelihoods.

Escaping poverty through young tea seedlings

Early in the morning in Vi Choong village (Kon Plong commune, Quang Ngai province), the mist still blankets the hills and mountains. Mr. A Vinh hunches over, checking each tea row before beginning the harvest. The lush green tea hills today were once plots of land where only cassava was grown, yielding low and unstable income.

Before 2021, Mr. Vung's family's life revolved around a few acres of cassava, yielding meager income. Harvests were inconsistent, with prices entirely dependent on traders. His family consistently remained on the commune's list of impoverished households.

At the end of 2021, thanks to the support from the Dong Truong Son Clean Tea Cooperative in providing seedlings, fertilizers, and guidance on soil improvement, he boldly switched to planting 5 acres of tea. For the first two years, his family devoted almost all their efforts to caring for each plant. By the third year, the tea plants began to stabilize, with green foliage and strong roots. To date, he has had two consecutive years of harvesting.

Thanks to production linkages, many households in the western highlands of Quang Ngai province have secured stable markets for their products and risen out of poverty sustainably.

"Each year, the tea garden brings in over 30 million VND, even though the plants are still young. But tea is only planted once and can be harvested for several decades. Importantly, the cooperative buys it at a stable price, so it's much more profitable than growing cassava," said Mr. Vung.

Besides growing tea, he also invested in a tractor to transport agricultural products for hire and started a motorbike repair business. The family's total income is approximately 200 million VND per year. Thanks to this, his family has escaped poverty and become one of the exemplary households in economic development in the commune.

The Dong Truong Son Clean Tea Cooperative currently has 19 members, cultivating over 60 hectares of clean tea. In addition, the cooperative also provides seedlings to local people to grow nearly 50 hectares of tea organically. The model is organized into a closed value chain: production – procurement – ​​processing – consumption, ensuring stable output for tea growers. In particular, the cooperative focuses on guiding members and affiliated households to cultivate organically and purchasing their products at prices higher than the market rate.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Hoi, Director of Dong Truong Son Clean Tea Cooperative, said that the cooperative supports and collaborates with local people to grow key tea varieties such as PH8, Oolong Kim Tuyen, San Tuyet, etc., which are suitable for the climate of Kon Plong, yielding high productivity and quality. “Fresh tea sells for 9,000 – 50,000 VND/kg, with an average revenue of about 200 million VND per year for 1 hectare of 6-7 year old tea plants. This is a stable source of income for the people in the highlands,” Mr. Hoi shared.

Mr. A Vững (residing in Vi Choong village, Kon Plông commune) has partnered with the Đông Trường Sơn Clean Tea Cooperative to cultivate 5 sao (approximately 0.5 hectares) of tea using organic farming methods.

Not only Kon Plông, but also the communes of Tu Mơ Rông, Măng Ri, Đăk Hà, Măng Đen… are forming linkages for growing cold-climate coffee, vegetables, fruits, and medicinal herbs. The family of Ms. Y Diang (residing in Kon Vơng Kia village, Măng Đen commune) was once a poor household, but now has a new life thanks to this production linkage.

Since 2023, she has partnered with the Mang Den Cold Climate Vegetable Cooperative to cultivate 3 acres of vegetables and fruits. Thanks to systematic guidance on farming techniques, each harvest (4-5 harvests/year) yields an income of approximately 20 million VND. She has also invested in planting nearly 1 hectare of cold climate coffee, fruit trees, and opened a small homestay. As a result, her family has escaped poverty and achieved a stable life.

Creating sustainable production through linkages.

In Mang Den commune (Quang Ngai province), where 70% of the population are ethnic minorities, the cooperative model is considered a "pillar" in the sustainable poverty reduction strategy. According to Pham Van Thang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Mang Den commune, the commune currently has 47 cooperatives with 502 members, mainly operating in agriculture and community tourism.

From green tea sprouts on the mountain slopes to rows of cold-climate vegetables, the production linkage model is gradually changing the face of the western highlands of Quang Ngai.

Over the years, the commune has persistently reviewed poverty households according to multidimensional standards, thereby formulating policies to support production, providing technical guidance, and connecting people with businesses that consume agricultural products. The campaign to encourage people to boldly invest in new crops and boldly switch to new production methods has yielded clear results. “In the future, the commune will continue to reorganize production into linked household groups and cooperatives. At the same time, we will promote the application of technology and digital transformation in agriculture to increase efficiency and transparency in output,” Mr. Thang added.

Similarly, in Kon Plông commune, the Chairman of the People's Committee, Bui Van Dap, assessed that the linkage models are creating significant changes. Previously, people's products depended on traders, resulting in unstable prices. Now, with value chain linkages, production processes are standardized, the quality of agricultural products has increased significantly, and output is guaranteed.

As a result, the lives of people in the commune have improved significantly. From the end of 2024 to the present, Kon Plông commune has seen 173 households escape poverty, 80 households escape near-poverty, leaving only 72 poor households and 146 near-poor households. These figures reflect the changes in both awareness and practices of the people in this mountainous region.

Ms. Y Diang (on the left), along with many other households in Kon Vơng Kia village (Măng Đen commune), are collaborating with the Măng Đen Cold Climate Vegetable Cooperative to grow vegetables and fruits.

"We will continue to expand the area of ​​key crops such as tea and cold-climate coffee. At the same time, we will strengthen inspections and remove obstacles so that cooperative models can be effective, thereby increasing income and aiming for sustainable poverty reduction," Mr. Dap said.

From green tea sprouts on mountain slopes to rows of cold-climate vegetables, the production linkage model is gradually changing the face of the western highlands of Quang Ngai. No longer is there a situation of everyone working independently, no longer is there the worry of bumper harvests leading to price drops; people can now proactively plan their long-term livelihoods. Production linkage, seemingly just a handshake, is, for the people of the highlands, a gateway to a sustainable escape from poverty and the creation of a prosperous future.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/con-duong-thoat-ngheo-nho-lien-ket-san-xuat-post1802078.tpo