Helping people improve their lives and achieve stability.

Thanks to resources from Project 2 on livelihood diversification and poverty reduction model development under the National Target Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction, hundreds of poor and near-poor households in Thang Mo commune (Tuyen Quang province) have had more opportunities to invest in production, build livestock farming models suitable to local conditions, gradually improve their income, and achieve stable lives.

Báo Nhân dân•01/01/1970

The cattle farming model in Lung Pung A village, Thang Mo commune, provides a stable income for the local people.

After the merger, Thang Mo commune has a natural area of over 6,770 hectares with 36 villages and hamlets. Rocky terrain accounts for up to 90% of the natural area, heavily fragmented by many steep slopes. Transportation infrastructure remains challenging, with over 60% of the roads still being rough, unpaved dirt roads.

The commune currently has 2,627 households with over 15,800 inhabitants, of which the H'Mông ethnic group accounts for 93.5%. Harsh farming conditions, fragmented land, and frequent natural disasters have resulted in a high poverty rate of 50.21%; near-poverty accounts for 13.55%. For many years, the livelihoods of the people have mainly depended on corn and rice grown intercropped in rocky areas, so their lives remain difficult.

Identifying poverty alleviation as a key task, during the 2022-2025 period, the local Party committee and government focused on effectively implementing Project 2 on diversifying livelihoods and developing poverty reduction models. Instead of providing widespread support, the commune concentrated on models that leverage local advantages and are linked to the needs and production habits of the people. The total approved capital for this period was over 10 billion VND, with the commune implementing 18 projects and supporting 476 participating households. The focus was on projects for breeding cows, fattening cattle, and commercial goats. To date, the cattle herd has produced over 700 calves; more than 250 have been sold, bringing in over 3.75 billion VND in income for participating households.

Among various livelihood models, commercial goat farming and cattle fattening are considered suitable by many households, given the local climate, soil conditions, and farming practices. These models do not require complex techniques but generate stable income if the people follow the correct procedures.

The family of Mr. Hau Xe Say, in Sung Phinh B village, Thang Mo commune, is one of the households benefiting from this livelihood model. In 2023, he received support in the form of a breeding cow. Thanks to proactively learning techniques for caring for, preventing diseases, and mixing feed for livestock, from one initial cow, the family now has four.

Mr. Say shared that, previously, with the old farming methods, the cows often got sick and died in large numbers, so he didn't dare raise them on a large scale. Since receiving guidance from commune officials on how to build barns and care for the cows, his family feels much more at ease. At the end of 2024, his family sold one cow for 15 million VND to cover living expenses. In the near future, the family plans to expand the barn to raise more cows. Mr. Vang Mi Sinh, Head of Sung Phinh B village, said that 100% of the households in the village are H'Mong ethnic people. In the period 2023-2025, the village received support of 50 breeding cows for 50 households. With the opportunity to develop production, the people have actively cared for the cows to increase their reproduction and generate more income.

The model of raising mountain goats has also proven effective in Lung Pung B village, Thang Mo commune. In 2023, Mr. Ho Cha So's family received support in the form of three breeding goats. Thanks to proper care and maintaining hygiene in the barns, the goat herd has developed well, with few diseases, and has now increased to seven. With stable selling prices, the family earns additional income each year to reinvest in livestock farming and production.

In practice, the models show that one of the key factors contributing to effectiveness is the close guidance and support of the technical staff. From the outset, the commune organized training courses to guide people on techniques for building livestock shelters, preventing diseases, and caring for animals and crops at different stages. Agricultural officials regularly visited villages and households, closely monitoring each stage of implementation to help people effectively utilize support funds, gradually shifting their production mindset from traditional practices to adopting new techniques, and moving towards sustainable development.

As a result, the rate of model retention after support is quite high, with many households not only maintaining their livestock but also expanding production scale and increasing their income.

Comrade Nguyen Van Minh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thang Mo commune, said that capital from the National Target Program has created a great impetus for the commune in poverty reduction efforts. Most importantly, people have changed their way of thinking and doing things. Support models help people have immediate livelihoods while creating a foundation for sustainable development. The commune government is also continuing to review the actual needs of the people to select suitable models for the next phase, especially prioritizing models that create stable income, can be replicated, and are linked to the potential of each village and group of households.

With support from national target programs and the proactive efforts of the people, livelihood models in Thang Mo commune are gradually proving effective. These models not only contribute to poverty reduction but also create a foundation for people to develop sustainable economies and improve their living standards in their homeland.

DUC THANG and HAI CHUNG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/giup-nguoi-dan-vuon-len-on-dinh-cuoc-song-post965753.html