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| Farmers in Nam Do hamlet (Dong Tam commune) have expanded the area planted with durian trees to 170 hectares. |
This clearly demonstrates the aspirations of the farmers in Nam Do hamlet to transform their crop structure towards high -economic- value crops in order to increase income and green the land.
Remember a difficult time
Nam Do hamlet (Dong Tam commune) has over 200 households, of which ethnic minorities such as Khmer, S'tieng, Tay, and Hoa account for half of the hamlet's population. The Nam Do area bears the strong imprint of the nomadic lifestyle of the S'tieng and Khmer people from the years 1975-1980. During that period, the area was sparsely populated, and trade with the outside world relied on ox carts and motorized vehicles for transporting forest products.
The S'tieng and Khmer people are considered the indigenous ethnic groups of the Nam Do hamlet, but they still heavily rely on shifting cultivation practices. Land they cultivate is only used for a few seasons before being abandoned, overgrown with weeds and regenerating as they move on to new land. During their free migration to the Nam Do area, Kinh, Hoa, and Tay families offered to buy these gardens and fields at low prices, or paid a small initial fee for clearing the land, to the S'tieng and Khmer people in exchange for ownership.
Over time, the gardens and fields of the Kinh, Hoa, and Tay ethnic groups took shape, and clearing forest land for farming became illegal. Therefore, when the S'tieng and Khmer people returned to their old lands to settle, they found no land left. Consequently, the local authorities implemented programs to provide them with housing, land for production, capital support, and crops. Thanks to these efforts, their lives began to stabilize.
The ethnic minority people in Nam Do hamlet, Dong Tam commune, live in unity, always supporting each other in labor, production, and life; working together to contribute to the development of their locality.
Officials of the Party Building Department, Dong Tam Commune Party Committee, NGHIỆP THANH TRÙ.
According to Dang Thanh Hung, head of Nam Do hamlet: Due to limited arable land, the lives of the majority of S'tieng and Khmer people were difficult when they first settled in this area. Later, the S'tieng and Khmer people gradually adapted to settled life with the support and attention of the authorities at all levels. Most importantly, they realized that in the process of establishing themselves, to escape poverty, they must strive for self-reliance, cultivate diligence, and persevere through hard work.
Mr. Thach Khoi (Khmer ethnic minority, group 2, Nam Do hamlet) shared: Although land is scarce, the S'tieng and Khmer people are diligent in their work, seek additional jobs, and choose crops with high economic value such as pepper, coffee, and durian... so their income has increased. At the same time, some people with little land also rent additional land from others to produce and earn extra income.
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| A road connecting hamlets in Nam Do hamlet (Dong Tam commune) has been paved with concrete, making travel more convenient for residents. |
The economy is thriving thanks to crop diversification.
Nam Do hamlet has a natural area of 1,600 hectares, of which 1,400 hectares are used for agricultural production. The main crops grown by farmers in the hamlet are currently rubber, cashew nuts, and durian.
Farmer Le Thanh Hai (in Hamlet 1, Nam Do village) recounted: In 1992, he came to Nam Do village to start his business. At the same time, many people from Ho Chi Minh City, Long Khanh, and Xuan Loc (formerly Dong Nai province) came to Nam Do to transfer land for coffee cultivation, creating a coffee planting "craze." The coffee planting movement failed, and farmers began to return to planting cashew, pepper, rubber, and other crops to alleviate their difficulties. After a considerable period, farmers realized that the prices of rubber, cashew, and pepper were sometimes unfavorable, or that diseases caused crop failures. They began to convert part or all of their land previously used for rubber, cashew, and acacia cultivation to fruit trees such as durian, pomelo, mangosteen, and rambutan.
Thanks to crop diversification, from 2010-2015, farmers in Nam Do hamlet were not heavily dependent on the prices of traditional crops such as rubber and cashew nuts. As a result, the lives of the majority of farmers in the hamlet changed significantly, with land use value reaching 100-120 million VND/hectare/year.
By 2017, the government accelerated the issuance of land use right certificates (red books) to the people, making it easier for many farmers in Nam Do hamlet to borrow capital from banks (because they had red books to mortgage), thus proactively switching crops. At the same time, this was also the period when the local authorities prioritized investment in Nam Do hamlet in projects to pave and cement roads in the area; and invest in medium and low-voltage power grids to reach the farms. Most importantly, they implemented national policies and programs on poverty reduction, capital, health insurance, education, etc., so that the S'tieng and Khmer people could benefit more.
The red basalt soil of Nam Do hamlet is suitable for growing durian, fruit trees, tissue-cultured bananas for export, and other high-value fruit crops, rivaling any other region. However, due to limited irrigation water in many areas during the dry season, farmers in Nam Do hamlet are hesitant to switch to other crops because of financial difficulties in constructing large-scale water reservoirs (2,000-4,000 m³).
Farmer TRAN VAN MUOP (in Nam Do hamlet, Dong Tam commune)
Nam Do hamlet head Dang Thanh Hung shared: "This is also a period of significant changes in the appearance of Nam Do hamlet, and the lives of the people have taken a step forward. Farmers with better economic conditions have boldly converted all the low-yielding mixed crops in their gardens or fruit and industrial crops (rubber, cashew) to durian for export. Currently, these farmers have confirmed that the value of land use reaches 250-300 million VND/year/hectare, and their economic situation has improved."
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Leaving Nam Do hamlet amidst the heavy June rain, the red basalt soil clung to the fields and gardens as it stretched towards the streams. Farmer Bui Van Vang (from group 3, Nam Do hamlet) remarked at the farewell: "Ten years ago, returning from Nam Do hamlet in the rain was very difficult. Now, with improved roads, perhaps the only thing left behind is a little dark red basalt soil on my clothes and vehicle as a memento."
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Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/phong-su-ky-su/202606/nam-do-se-som-chuyen-minh-cf83362/
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