A pillar of support for ethnic minority farmers.

(GLO) - Farmers' associations at all levels in the province have become a support system for their members, especially ethnic minority farmers. Through support in terms of capital, seeds, technology, and production models, the lives of the people are becoming increasingly stable and prosperous, contributing to changing the face of rural and mountainous areas.

Thanks to guidance from the Krong Commune Farmers' Association, Ms. Dinh Thi Nghen has successfully developed a highly effective intercropping model. Photo: D.D.

On nearly 1.5 hectares of upland land, the family of Ms. Dinh Thi Nghen (a Bana ethnic minority from Sing village, Krong commune) previously mainly grew upland rice and acacia trees, resulting in low economic efficiency. Since 2020, with advice and support from the village Farmers' Association and the commune Farmers' Association, Ms. Nghen and her husband boldly improved the land, switching to intercropping with 500 Robusta coffee trees, 200 banana trees, combined with growing two rice crops along with various beans and corn.

Thanks to technical guidance on cultivation, the coffee plants thrived, yielding significant results. In the 2025 harvest alone, her family harvested over 9 tons of fresh coffee, earning nearly 250 million VND in profit after deducting expenses; other crops brought in an additional 80 million VND, contributing to increased income and improved quality of life.

Sharing about the changes in her economic practices, Ms. Nghen said: “Thanks to the regular support and guidance from the Branch Association and the Farmers' Association of the commune, my family has gradually understood how to organize production more effectively, and we no longer plant acacia trees out of habit as before. In the future, I will allocate more land to expand coffee cultivation, combine it with macadamia trees, and apply new farming techniques to improve productivity, increase income, and stabilize our lives in the long term.”

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Nhat, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Krong commune, in implementing the movement of farmers competing in excellent production and business, uniting to help each other get rich and sustainably reduce poverty, the Association at all levels has focused on mobilizing members to switch from small-scale farming to intercropping models, changing crops suitable to soil conditions; at the same time, organizing technical training courses and supporting farmers in connecting with product consumption markets.

Currently, the total area planted with food crops in the locality reaches over 3,011 hectares; coffee covers over 404 hectares, and macadamia nuts cover over 579 hectares, contributing to increased income and stable livelihoods for farmer members.

Guided by the An Toan Commune Farmers' Association, many farmer members in Hamlet 1 have partnered with the An Toan Agricultural and General Services Cooperative to cultivate Angelica sinensis, generating stable income. Photo: D.D.

In An Toan commune, after the merger, the Farmers' Association intensified its efforts to promote and encourage cadres and members to register for emulation campaigns and actively participate in the movement; focusing on implementing many practical support activities such as transferring scientific and technical knowledge, supplying seeds, loans, and materials. At the same time, it encouraged farmers to strengthen linkages, participate in cooperatives, and cooperate in production and product consumption along the value chain.

As a result, models for growing large timber trees, medicinal plants, raising buffaloes, black pigs, free-range chickens, fruit trees, etc., have been widely adopted, bringing clear economic benefits and contributing to a reduction in the poverty rate by over 5% annually.

A typical example is the household of Ms. Dinh Thi Canh (village 1). Previously, with nearly 4 sao (approximately 0.4 hectares) of garden land, her family mainly grew corn and cassava, resulting in low economic efficiency. Since 2024, encouraged by the Farmers' Association of the commune, she joined the An Toan Agricultural and General Services Cooperative and switched to growing Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui) medicinal plants. Ms. Canh said that thanks to the specific technical guidance from the cooperative's staff and the Farmers' Association, the plants grew well and yielded high productivity.

In the recent harvest, she collected over 3.5 tons of Angelica root and sold it to the cooperative; after deducting expenses, she earned nearly 73 million VND in profit, much higher than growing corn and cassava before, helping to stabilize her family's finances.

Mr. Y Kham, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Farmers' Association, affirmed that the Association at all levels has effectively played a core role in raising awareness and changing the mindset and practices of farmers in general and ethnic minorities in particular in developing production and business.

Building upon practical and effective support activities for its members, the various levels of the Association continue to develop collective economic models such as farmers' associations, support business connections, provide knowledge, capital, and supplies to help ethnic minorities develop production, alleviate poverty, improve their living standards, preserve their cultural identity, and strengthen national unity in rural areas.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/diem-tua-cho-nong-dan-dan-toc-thieu-so-post577028.html