Agroforestry model, creating sustainable livelihoods

Model of intercropping coffee trees with fruit trees of Phuc Sinh Son La Joint Stock Company.

Aratay Coffee Cooperative, Muong Chanh Commune, is one of the pioneers in applying the agroforestry model. Instead of monoculture coffee, cooperative members have intercropped with forestry, fruit and medicinal plants. This approach has helped diversify products, improve soil fertility and increase resilience to climate change.

Ms. Cam Thi Mon, Director of the Cooperative, said: The members of the Cooperative have planted plums and macadamia trees among coffee trees to provide shade and prevent frost, contributing to stabilizing production and increasing income by 200-250 million VND/household/year. In addition, the Cooperative also combines eco -tourism , promoting specialty coffee and indigenous culture. Each year, the Cooperative produces 8-10 tons of high-quality coffee beans, with revenue of nearly 1.6 billion VND; Natural coffee products have achieved 4-star OCOP certification at the provincial level.

Meanwhile, the family of Mr. Leo Van Lech, a member of Thanh Cuong Agricultural Cooperative in Mai Son commune, grows seasonal strawberries and intercrops fruit trees on sloping land with a total area of 1.3 hectares. The model helps to diversify crops, create multiple sources of income on the same area, improve production efficiency and significantly increase income.

Officials from the Provincial Agricultural Technical Center discussed with farmers in Gia Phu commune about the model of organic rice cultivation combined with aquaculture.

In recent years, many programs and projects have promoted the replication of agroforestry models throughout the province. Program 661 has greened more than 100,000 hectares of bare hills, of which 30% of the area both protects the land and increases income. The national target program supports over 2,000 households in Sop Cop, Bac Yen to grow hawthorn, medicinal herbs, and raise livestock, contributing to reducing the rate of poor ethnic minority households to 14.2% by the end of 2024. In the 2012-2021 period, the project of the International Agroforestry Research Organization in Vietnam (ICRAF) and the Son La Agricultural Extension Center (now the Provincial Agricultural Technical Center) supported nearly 200 households to build integrated planting models, such as planting late longan - corn - grass; macadamia - coffee - beans..., helping to improve livelihoods and effectively manage forests.

Ms. Cam Thi Phong, Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, said: Currently, agroforestry models such as growing fruit trees combined with raising livestock under the forest canopy; coffee, tea mixed with macadamia, black star apple and medicinal plants are being replicated in localities, with a total area of about 15,000 hectares (accounting for 10% of agricultural and forestry land). Many typical models such as mango - corn - grass; hawthorn - corn - grass; macadamia - coffee - beans; black star apple - coffee - beans to replant Arabica coffee... have brought about clear economic efficiency. In the period of 2025-2029, the project "Land Restoration and Livelihood Improvement in Vietnam" will support 15,000 households to restore 6,994 hectares of fruit trees, 8,239 hectares of forestry land and plant more than 13 million multi-purpose trees.

Diversifying crops and livestock in the agroforestry model has helped people increase their stable income, reduce risks due to weather and diseases, affirming that this is a sustainable agricultural development direction for Son La and the Northwest region.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/nong-nghiep/mo-hinh-nong-lam-ket-hop-tao-sinh-ke-ben-vung-yEPrDyXNg.html