Build people's trust
“In order to implement the project, especially with perennial plants like macadamia nut, it is necessary to create the trust and support of the people,” shared Mr. Le Xuan Canh, Chairman of Tuan Giao District People's Committee. Macadamia tree is a plant that has been tested for economic efficiency and high quality in Tuan Giao. However, the previous project of growing macadamia in the area also encountered many problems. Because the Company does not have enough potential to continue to take care of and expand the area as originally planned and still owes money to share profits and labor wages of the people. People's confidence in the project is no longer, which also significantly affects other economic development policies and programs of the district. How to rebuild trust among the people is what the leaders of Tuan Giao district worry about.
However, identifying macadamia as a suitable crop with high economic value, the district persisted with this goal. Mr. Le Xuan Canh commented: “The market for macadamia nut is large, the demand is large and continues to increase, the new supply can meet a quarter of the world demand. Moreover, not everywhere can grow this plant. While, Tuan Giao macadamia has good productivity and quality, can not waste its development potential, choose not to follow the mass to win.
With that vision, Tuan Giao has both enhanced the people's confidence from the implementation of other economic models, restored and improved the productivity and quality of existing trees, especially fruit trees, and medium-sized fruit trees. find a sustainable way for macadamia. District leaders spent many months traveling abroad to connect with businesses. After many missed appointments, on June 29, in Hanoi, leaders of Tuan Giao district successfully reached an agreement and signed a memorandum of understanding with TH Group Joint Stock Company related to macadamia plantation. Accordingly, the District People's Committee is committed to creating all conditions according to regulations for the Group and its member units to implement projects on growing macadamia in the area. In return, TH Group commits to cover all macadamia products in those projects, with unit prices at Australian market prices, for 6 years. On July 50, the Provincial People's Committee issued a decision approving the investment policy and at the same time approving the investor to implement the Project of Intensive Macadamia Plantation in Tuan Giao District with a scale of about 10 ha, for the project. with Dien Bien Hi-tech Agriculture and Tourism Joint Stock Company (a member unit of TH Group). This information strengthens the people's confidence.
Get to work now
As soon as the mechanism was in place, Tuan Giao immediately started implementing the project. Propaganda was promoted, leaders and professional staff went directly to the area, clearly disseminated and confirmed to the people the value of macadamia fruit and product commitments. The joint project of growing and developing macadamia trees was formed. The unit in charge of the chain is Dien Bien Hi-tech Agriculture and Tourism Joint Stock Company; The state management unit is the Agricultural Service Center assigned by the district to manage, monitor the program, and hold the State capital for effective investment. Along with that are scientists, managers of the parties.
Seeing these efforts, 2.500 households in 18 communes in the area registered to plant nearly 1.000 hectares of macadamia trees in 2023. From July 16, the project started distributing fertilizers and seedlings to the communes, cooperation group. In the remote and most difficult Pu Xi commune in the district, 7 households registered to plant 24 trees this time. Mr. Lo Van Thang, Chairman of the Commune People's Committee said: "In the past, the area had never grown macadamia. People in the commune still cultivate fragmented, backward, familiar with maize, cassava and upland rice. When disseminating the policy, households also wondered if macadamia nut is suitable for this land. Moreover, this is a perennial plant, afraid of growing macadamia, then there is no land to grow corn and rice to meet life. However, after many conversations and sharing, many households went down to the lowland communes to successfully grow macadamia nuts to find out. After that, decided to register 2.400 original per household. Participating households are scattered in 100 different villages and most of them are poor. I hope these are pioneers for people to believe and follow.”
Among the households growing macadamia this season, there is a family of Mr. Ho A Lu, from Pu Xi village. 1. Mr. Lu explained: “Growing macadamia requires high technology, from digging holes and spacing between trees. The plot of my house is about 1 hectare, 100 macadamia trees are almost gone, only 2.000 - 3.000m are left2 to grow other food crops. So at first I thought a lot. However, if this piece of land is planted with corn, it is only enough to feed the family and grow rice, and each year, it will collect more than 1 ton of rice. Life on this is too difficult, I wanted to find a new direction, so I decided to register to grow macadamia. According to the plan, in mid-August, I and the households in the commune will receive seedlings.”
The whole political system is involved
Having received the consent of the People, in order to implement the project smoothly and effectively, the whole district political system got involved. The district steering committee to get rid of poverty in Tuan Giao district has established 18 working groups to inspect and urge the implementation of projects on growing macadamia and restructuring the agricultural sector in the area. The district also established 155 cooperative groups corresponding to the villages and clusters involved in growing macadamia. Simultaneously, zalo connection between district and commune steering committees and 100% of the group cooperates with members for timely information and specific instructions. Not only direct training, hands-on work, but people are also regularly instructed in techniques, how to plant and care for macadamia through photos and videos transferred to zalo groups, electronic portals, and loudspeakers. Commune…
Everything was done quickly. During the summer months, Tuan Giao District Youth Union, the youth unions of communes and agencies in the area conducted many meetings to support households to dig holes to plant macadamia. On July 21, the district People's Committee organized a campaign to propagate and mobilize people to participate in planting and caring for macadamia, as a planting site in Loi village, Quai To commune. After that, the communes, after receiving fertilizer, plant seedlings simultaneously in the area. Through the above activities, more than 7 turns of people participated in propaganda, together with households digging holes and planting macadamia trees.
This time, Quai Nua also planted 188ha of macadamia in 12 villages, corresponding to 12 cooperative groups. Mr. Lo Van Tuan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quai Nua Commune said: "Implementing the policy of planting macadamia trees, the Party Committee and local authorities have assigned all cadres, civil servants and communal organizations to accompany the people. macadamia growers; specifically assigned in charge of each village with the parts of propaganda, supervision of fertilizer application and tree planting, and project loss prevention; and at the same time guide people to plant the right techniques such as training and documents, instructional videos of the district. Up to now, the households have completed sowing seeds, ensuring the requirements set forth”.
With the participation of the whole political system, nearly 1.000ha of the people's swidden area is gradually covered with macadamia trees. This is the initial success in developing and expanding the area of perennial crops, making an important contribution to the restructuring of the agricultural sector. “The district's point of view is to develop harmoniously, while creating a core area for businesses so that businesses can stand in the area and consume products for people. But focus on developing mainly the area of connection, so that people can own it. Therefore, according to the investment approval of the province, the project scale is over 11.000ha, however, the district advocates developing the core area for businesses of more than 2.000ha, the rest is the associated area (about 80%). The core zone serves as the foundation for the linking area, so that people can have a livelihood, increase their income, and change their lives," added Mr. Le Xuan Canh.
