Starting a business from local specialties, the key to escaping poverty for women in Lang Son

Lang Son is a mountainous border province with a small economic scale, agriculture still plays a key role. With over 81% of the population living in rural areas and over 80% of the labor force working in agriculture, this sector determines the lives of the majority of residents, solves employment and creates income. Agriculture not only provides food and food but also raw materials for industry and goods for society, contributing to creating a significant source of income for Lang Son.

Ms. Lang Thi Tho introduces startup specialties.

Grasping the needs of the market, Ms. Lang Thi Tho, Ban Lech village, Bac Hung commune, Van Lang district has researched and processed the product of chewy pork with mac mat. Although it is new to the market, the product has been well received by many consumers. Ms. Tho said: Through research, it shows that the fruit and leaves of mac mat added to the processing process help dishes become more fatty, rich, with a characteristic and attractive aroma, so I chose to combine the leaves and fruits of mac mat with pork to create the product of chewy pork with mac mat. Starting with this specialty dish in March 2023, but 4 months later, the chewy pork with mac mat product was well received by consumers and then became very popular.

“After participating in the Lang Son Province Innovation and Startup Competition in 2023, I had the opportunity to meet with representatives of a number of businesses and experts. I was advised by startup support experts, pointed out the problems that I needed to overcome, guided on how to solve limitations as well as oriented me to develop the market and build my own brand for my products. Not only did I rise to become rich, many local Tay and Nung ethnic women were also arranged stable jobs by me, so their lives were better,” Ms. Tho shared.

Another typical example is Ms. Vi Thi Lua (born in 1986), in Mu Cai Pha village, Quan Son commune, Chi Lang district, Lang Son province, who decided to realize her dream of starting a business from local products, getting rich in the countryside and succeeding with the product branded "Lua Vi Fish Mint Tea". After more than 2 years of establishing the Lua Vi agricultural processing cooperative, the young Tay ethnic director Vi Thi Lua has created jobs and consumed agricultural products for dozens of households inside and outside the commune, helping people feel secure in production. With these results, she was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit for Women Entrepreneurship in 2022 from the Vietnam Women's Union.

Ms. Vi Thi Lua is an excellent example of starting a business from the trees and leaves of her hometown Lang Son.

According to the report of the Women's Union of Lang Son province, from 2022 to now, there have been about 10 successful start-up projects, which have built product brands in the market, typically: Wind-dried persimmon and dried persimmon projects (Toan Thuong Cooperative, Van Lang district); Chu Hanh Black Jelly Production Project (household producing and trading Chu Hanh Black Jelly, Van Lang district); Project to build a value chain of star anise and medicinal herbs under star anise canopy from indigenous resources associated with livelihoods for ethnic minority women (Na Pai village Cooperative, Binh Gia district); Smoked and dried pork culinary project; Project to produce shampoo and hair conditioner from natural herbs, etc.

Lang Son women learn from experience at "Lang Son Provincial Women's Entrepreneurship Day 2024".

Although the products from the above projects are new to the market, they have been widely accepted by consumers and have brought practical economic and social values. These activities have contributed to the Party, government and people joining hands to eradicate poverty sustainably and build a peaceful and happy life in the mountainous province of Lang Son.

Nguyen Duy Chien

Source: https://tienphong.vn/khoi-nghiep-tu-dac-san-dia-phuong-chia-khoa-thoat-ngheo-cua-phu-nu-xu-lang-post1741834.tpo