Great potential of a "poverty-relief tree"

The joy of a good cinnamon season. Photo: THANH SON

Que Son Cooperative (Mau A commune) is a unit that used to export goods to many countries such as Switzerland, China, Indonesia... Mr. Nguyen Van Tam, Director of Que Son Cooperative, still remembers clearly the days of its establishment, in 2007, when only nine members contributed capital of 300 million VND. Coming from difficulties and hardships, the cooperative members joined hands and were unanimous, and up to now, the revenue has reached from 60 to 100 billion VND/year. According to Mr. Tam, when becoming a member of the Cooperative, households are equipped with more farming knowledge and are helped with product output. However, each household must commit to producing according to scientific processes, without using pesticides. On average, each hectare of cinnamon brings in about 100 million VND/year, estimated to reach one billion VND in a 10-year cycle.

Since 2021, the area has been implementing the construction of many models of organic cinnamon cultivation according to the chain linkage. Que Son Cooperative has switched to specializing in purchasing cinnamon from local people to process products, helping people grow cinnamon 10-20% more effectively than other types of cinnamon. Mr. Tam shared: We have taken advantage of the favorable conditions of nature and made efforts to enrich our homeland.

Khanh Thanh Cinnamon Cooperative (Tran Yen Commune) is also a gathering place for many like-minded households, actively expanding the area of organic cinnamon cultivation, and finding outlets for products. Currently, the facility has two products recognized as 3-star OCOP products. Khanh Thanh Cinnamon Cooperative is actively improving the quality and design, upgrading OCOP products from 3 stars to 4 stars, and at the same time expanding the export market to increase product value. Mr. Vu Dinh Khanh, Director of Khanh Thanh Cinnamon Cooperative, suggested: We have cooperated with HG SPICES Import-Export Company Limited to purchase cinnamon products and export products to some other countries. We hope that the local government will continue to accompany and create conditions for members to expand the raw material area.

As an active member of the cooperative, Ms. Truong Thi My, village 2 (Tran Yen commune) shared: Previously, her family's economic life faced many difficulties. Since switching to cinnamon cultivation and joining the cooperative, her family's income has increased, allowing her to build a spacious house and send her children to school.

Currently, Lao Cai province has hundreds of cooperatives operating in the agricultural sector, many of which are developed, such as the Vietnam Cinnamon Cooperative, Hung Thanh Agricultural and Rural Development Cooperative... In Bao Nhai commune, thanks to mastering science and technology, participating in cooperative groups and cooperatives, people have taken advantage of favorable natural conditions, actively produced, and strived to get rich. Some households even built high-rise buildings and bought cars thanks to the high efficiency of growing cinnamon and processing cinnamon products. It is worth mentioning that units, establishments, and members have been actively participating in the new rural construction program, restructuring the agricultural sector, and developing cooperatives associated with the value chain in agriculture. Lao Cai province will also continue to build specialized agricultural cooperatives associated with large-scale concentrated commodity production areas; Focus on applying science and technology in production and environmental protection... All these efforts are contributing to sustainable development in the locality.