Mulberry trees in Dong Cuong

On the riverside fields of Sai Luong village, Dong Cuong commune, alongside rice and corn, patches of green mulberry trees have appeared. The people here are continuing the story of mulberry trees and silkworms with faith in a new direction for the local economy and tourism.

Born in 1990, Ms. Luong Thi Luan has been the head of Sai Luong village for 5 years. Her youthful energy, enthusiasm, and pioneering spirit have earned her the trust of the villagers, leading to her election as village head, while also serving as the Director of the Dong Cuong Mulberry Cooperative.

“Growing mulberry trees and raising silkworms is very effective. Since the beginning of the year, my family has harvested nearly 100 kg of cocoons, priced at over 200,000 VND/kg, bringing in an income of about 30 million VND. Moreover, growing mulberry trees and raising silkworms helps create jobs for many laborers,” said Village Head Luong Thi Luan.

With over 237 hectares of natural land, including 46.3 hectares of rice paddies, 34 hectares of corn fields, and the remainder used for other crops, the lives of the people of Sai Luong mainly depend on farming and small-scale livestock raising. Therefore, finding new crops to cultivate on land previously used for rice, corn, and cassava is a fervent desire of the people and the village Party committee and branch.

Taking us on a tour of the mulberry fields of several households in the village, Village Head Luong Thi Luan shared: “Nearly a decade ago, implementing the movement ‘Growing mulberries to enrich the homeland,’ mulberry cultivation and silkworm farming gradually developed in the village. However, due to natural disasters, diseases, and unstable product markets, mulberry trees were gradually removed from the local crop structure.”

Following the mulberry market trends, in 2023, with encouragement from the commune, village head Luong Thi Luan, along with several households such as the family of Mr. Ha Van Dieu and Ms. Luong Thi Bich Loan, replanted their mulberry fields. In the early days of land reclamation and planting, they worked while worrying, and many were skeptical due to previous failures. But over time, from the first silkworm harvests that brought income, confidence returned.

From the initial households, approximately 20 hectares of 5% of the land in Sai Luong village have now been planted with mulberry trees. Notably, to ensure the sustainable development of mulberry cultivation, the village established the Dong Cuong Mulberry and Silkworm Cooperative with 10 members. From the beginning of 2026 to the present, the cooperative members have sold nearly 1 ton of cocoons, generating several hundred million dong in income.

Having tried his hand at various jobs, from livestock development and business to fish farming, Mr. Nguyen Van Duoc, Deputy Director of the Dong Cuong Mulberry and Silkworm Cooperative, decided to invest in mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing. With nearly 2 hectares of mulberry trees, each silkworm harvest brings his family an income of about 30 million VND, while also providing employment for two workers.

Mr. Nguyen Van Duoc - Deputy Director of Dong Cuong Mulberry Cooperative: “Mulberry cultivation helps diversify livelihoods and increase income. Moreover, if this profession is well developed in conjunction with the cultural relic of the Mother Goddess Temple, it will create more appeal for the tourism industry when tourists experience the silkworm farming profession in the locality.”

However, the path to reviving mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing in Sai Luong is not easy. Besides the fertile alluvial soil, many areas have sandy soil that is waterlogged during the rainy season and dry during the dry season, requiring significant effort to improve. Meanwhile, diseases easily spread to mulberry trees and silkworms.

Despite these difficulties, the members of the Dong Cuong Mulberry Cooperative persevered in production to revive the craft. They not only wanted to preserve the craft but also hoped to transform it into a unique tourism product, linked to the Mother Goddess Temple festival.

With fertile alluvial soil, abundant local labor, continued investment in rural roads and irrigation canals, technical training for the people, application of incentive policies, and especially close links with businesses to build a value chain from mulberry cultivation - silkworm rearing - processing - consumption, Dong Cuong has the potential to become a major raw material area, supplying silk to the market.

The entire commune has 30 households cultivating approximately 26 hectares of mulberry trees, with 20 hectares concentrated in Sai Luong. Based on the initial success, the commune is continuing to review less productive land areas to develop mulberry cultivation to about 40 hectares, and then expand further.

Mr. Le Thanh Hung - Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Cuong Commune

From Sai Luong, the silk farming industry is gradually "awakening" in Dong Cuong. This is not only the revival of a traditional craft but also a testament to the harmonious combination of economy , culture, and tourism, opening up new directions for the land along the Red River.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/dau-tam-tren-dat-dong-cuong-post899413.html