Sustainable livelihoods for Lao Chai people

Now in Hang Giang village, Lao Chai commune, there are no longer many yellow rice fields, instead there are green trellises of chayote, cucumber, strawberry and VH6 pear trees taking root, sprouting, opening up new hopes. Models of crop restructuring are gradually taking shape through practice, using economic efficiency as a measure and the spirit of daring to experiment as a driving force.

In that story of innovation, Giang A Po is one of the pioneering households that boldly broke the monoculture. Previously, his family's life revolved around a few acres of upland rice and a few patches of corn. Low income kept poverty at bay. In 2024, on 1 hectare of land, Giang A Po decided to experiment with growing chayote and cucumbers and reaped results that far exceeded expectations with tens of millions of dong - an income that upland rice cultivation could not bring. From the initial success, last season he expanded his area by 4 hectares of chayote and 3,000 square meters of cucumbers.

Mr. Giang A Po shared: “Growing chayote and cucumbers for the past two years has given my family a higher income than growing upland rice. I will definitely expand the area of chayote cultivation so that the family economy can develop further.”

Not only vegetables, strawberries - a plant considered "difficult" - have also taken root in Hang Giang thanks to the cool climate typical of the highlands. Mr. Giang A So, one of the first households to plant strawberries, said: "I find that growing strawberries is many times more effective than growing rice. Strawberries are opening up new prospects, helping us have a more stable source of income, gradually forming a high-value agricultural production model."

In addition to the boldness of people in converting crops, an important factor contributing to this change is thanks to national target programs. Many poor and near-poor households that previously mainly practiced monoculture are now supported with seeds, materials and techniques to convert to more suitable crops.

The family of Mrs. Giang Thi Su in Co De Sang A village is an example. Previously, her family's barren land only grew corn, with low economic efficiency. In 2024, with support from the State for seeds, her family boldly planted 400 VH6 pear trees. Up to now, the pear trees have grown well, promising to bring in a significant income in the coming years.

Along with the models of growing pears, chayote, cucumbers and strawberries, in Lao Chai commune there are also new models of growing vegetables with the potential to bring high income, including the eggplant growing model of Ms. Mua Thi Bau. This is one of the households that boldly invested in the direction of semi-professionalism, applying new techniques right from the beginning.

In early November 2025, Ms. Bau invested more than 30 million VND to build a nylon shelter system, install drip irrigation pipes and buy high-quality seedlings. For people in the highlands, that investment is not small, but she determined that if she wanted to do commercial agriculture, she had to change her thinking and working methods, and boldly apply technology to production. Controlling humidity, nutrition, and light helps plants grow more evenly and reduces risks due to weather.

Ms. Bau shared: “When I first invested, I was also worried because I had to spend a large amount of money. But if I kept growing rice, I would never have enough to eat. Growing eggplant in a greenhouse initially showed that the growing time was shortened, productivity increased significantly and the fruit quality was consistent. Thanks to proactive irrigation water sources and care techniques, the harvest time can be extended, increasing the value of the product when supplied to the market."

The economic development model of Ms. Bau's family shows the change in thinking of Lao Chai people from agricultural production to agricultural economics. This shows that the process of shifting crop structure is not only in specialty crops but also in familiar vegetables but produced according to new standards, bringing higher and more sustainable economic efficiency.

Mr. Giang A Vang - agricultural extension worker of Lao Chai commune said: "Upland rice has low productivity and is not economically competitive. Meanwhile, fruit trees like pears, if grown with the right techniques, will give superior yield and value."

Up to now, Lao Chai has converted hundreds of hectares of ineffective rice fields to grow crops of high economic value. Of which, VH6 pear trees and cardamom trees alone have 73 hectares. The average income per hectare of newly cultivated land has increased 3-5 times compared to before. The poverty rate in 2024 will decrease by 3.81% - a decrease that is not large but meaningful for a mountainous commune with many difficulties.

Changing the crop structure not only creates new livelihoods but also contributes to changing production thinking. People have learned to calculate, expand scale, link consumption and form commodity production areas. From the initial small models, Lao Chai is gradually forming areas growing fruit trees and high-value vegetables, creating a foundation for sustainable agricultural economic development.

Presented by: Thuy Thanh

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/sinh-ke-ben-vung-cho-nguoi-dan-lao-chai-post888501.html