Changes in the homeland of Nghia Tam

Thanks to the correct policies and close direction of the Party Committee and government, the poverty rate of Nghia Tam commune has decreased from more than 25% in 2000 to 7.69% in 2025, with about 600 households escaping poverty.

New Nghia Tam commune, Lao Cai province used to be a poor rural area. Before 2020, the average income per capita was only about 28 million VND/year, and rural transport infrastructure did not meet the needs of daily life and trade of goods for the people. However, in just one term of 2020 - 2025, the socio -economic picture of Nghia Tam has changed completely. That is the result of the determination in leadership and direction of the Party Committee, government and the spirit of striving of each citizen.

Identifying the potential strengths in agricultural and forestry production, especially the commune is located in the key citrus fruit growing area of ​​Van Chan district, former Yen Bai province. Therefore, the commune's Party Committee and government have issued specialized resolutions on agricultural and forestry development, focusing on developing and expanding the area of ​​citrus fruit trees; mobilizing households to establish household groups and agricultural production cooperatives to support each other in terms of techniques, seeds, fertilizers and output product consumption.

Comrade Hoang Viet - Secretary of the Party Committee of Nghia Tam commune

With the right decisions and close guidance from the Party Committee and the government, Nghia Tam commune has formed specialized agricultural and forestry production areas. Up to now, Nghia Tam commune has developed over 700 hectares of citrus fruit trees, of which the main ones are Vinh oranges, lotus oranges, and duong canh oranges. In 2024, the total citrus fruit output of the commune will reach nearly 4,000 tons, bringing in an economic value of over 78 billion VND. This is considered a "hunger eradication and poverty reduction" tree and also a "rich" tree for many households.

Besides orange trees, the commune also focuses on expanding the forestry area of ​​the whole commune to over 6,300 hectares, of which new planting and replacement planting annually reaches over 531 hectares, with the economic value of the forest reaching 23.5 billion VND each year.

In addition, the commune's tea area has also been renovated, gradually replacing old areas with new, high-quality varieties. Some households have linked up with purchasing and processing enterprises, opening up a new direction for tea trees that have been associated with the people for generations. Currently, the commune's tea business area remains stable at 736 hectares of tea, with an average output of 8,805 tons/year; the economic value reaches over 28.2 billion VND/year.

Along with production development, Nghia Tam commune pays special attention to investing in new rural infrastructure. Up to now, 100% of commune and inter-village roads have been concreted, and intra-field roads have been expanded, facilitating the transportation of agricultural products.

In addition, in the commune, the national grid has covered 31/31 villages, 100% of households have stable access to electricity. The system of schools, medical stations, and cultural houses has been upgraded and newly built, meeting the needs of studying, medical examination and treatment, and community activities.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tiem, a resident of Re 2 village, shared: “In the past, people had difficulty traveling and their agricultural products were forced down in price by traders. Now, concrete roads have been built all the way to the village. The investment in infrastructure has opened up opportunities for economic development, cultural exchange, and people's lives have been improved both materially and spiritually.”

The commune identifies the goal of poverty reduction and improving people's lives as a key task in socio-economic development. Every year, the Party Committee and the commune government direct professional staff to coordinate with villages to organize surveys, evaluate and classify poor households according to prescribed criteria. On that basis, the commune coordinates with units in the province to open training courses, transfer science and technology to develop household economy, and at the same time create conditions for people to access preferential credit capital to develop the economy. To date, hundreds of poor households have received preferential loans with a total outstanding credit balance by 2025 reaching 310 billion VND.

Thanks to those efforts, the commune's poverty rate has decreased from more than 25% in 2000 to 7.69% in 2025, with about 600 households escaping poverty. The story of Mr. Do Van Loi's family in An Thai village is a typical example. Previously, Mr. Loi's family was a poor household. After participating in a short-term training course organized by the commune, he pooled his capital to buy a pair of sows for breeding. After many years of accumulation, he continued to develop the forest economy. Realizing that the porcupine farming model was effective, in 2018 he boldly borrowed 50 million VND from the Social Policy Bank, combined with his family's own capital to build a porcupine farm. To date, his family has 200 pairs of porcupines, selling more than 400 each year, bringing in an income of nearly 500 million VND. Besides, he also grows more than 1 hectare of four-season lemons, each year selling the seeds, he earns nearly 100 million VND. From a poor household, Mr. Loi's family has now become a well-off household in the village.

Mr. Loi shared: The government provides loans, commune officials provide technical guidance, but the most important thing is that we must try our best and not rely on others. Today, I believe more and more that if we know how to do business, poverty will go away.

The change in Nghia Tam today is easily seen in the roads leading to the commune center and the villages and hamlets are all paved with asphalt and concrete, wide open. On both sides of the main roads of the commune and hamlets are colorful flower paths; 31/31 village cultural houses are all built spaciously with full cultural facilities for people to live, meet, organize cultural and artistic activities, and mass sports. On the rural roads, the rate of lighting is now 100%.

In addition, the commune focuses on integrating resources from the National Target Program and the New Rural Development Program, creating a driving force to promote strong economic development. In recent years, the socio-economic indicators of Nghia Tam commune have all grown, each year higher than the previous year. People's lives are increasingly improved, both materially and spiritually.

The economy is diversified, the whole commune has 320 households engaged in production, business, trade and services; 21 limited liability companies and private enterprises mainly processing wood and tea; 8 cooperatives, 31 cooperative groups... Average income per capita in 2025 will reach over 48 million VND/person/year, an increase of 16.4 million VND compared to 2020, reaching 111.84% of the Resolution's target.

From a purely agricultural commune, with the leadership and direction of the Party Committee, the government, and the consensus of the people, the economic life of the people has been improved both materially and spiritually. These are important milestones and premises for Nghia Tam to strive to achieve advanced new rural standards in the coming time.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/doi-thay-tren-que-huong-nghia-tam-post882470.html