When the peach blossoms begin to bloom, the people of the border region of Muong Lat join in the songs and flute music. This year, the cassava crop is bountiful, and the revenue from labor export has brought hundreds of billions of dong to the locality, making the people happy and excited, ready to welcome a new year with the belief in success.
Joy on the cassava hill
In the final days of 2024, people in the communes of Trung Lý, Tam Chung, Mường Lý, Pù Nhi... in the border district of Mường Lát (Thanh Hoá province) were harvesting cassava. From the early morning, on the hillsides of Chà Lan village, Mường Lý commune, dozens of young people were digging, pulling up, and putting cassava into sacks before carrying them to trucks for transport to the collection point, awaiting delivery. On the cassava fields, everyone had a task, and the atmosphere was joyful because of a bountiful cassava harvest. Smiles bloomed on the faces of the villagers amidst the cold weather of this remote border region.
On a steep hillside, the more than 1-hectare cassava field of Thào A Gìn's family, residing in Chà Lan village, Mường Lý commune, is in the midst of harvest. Carrying heavy sacks of cassava on his shoulders, drenched in sweat, A Gìn said: "This year's cassava crop will be harvested before Tet (Lunar New Year), with an expected yield of 15 tons. With the current selling price of about 1,800 VND/kg, A Gìn's family estimates they will earn more than 20 million VND."
A Gin recounted: “Before, my family grew a little rice and some mahogany trees for timber to sell, but it wasn't enough to eat. Since we were allocated land and received guidance from officials on cassava cultivation techniques, we learned from them. For the past three years, thanks to cassava, our whole family of nine has had enough to eat. Our children can go to school and learn to read and write, and we have new clothes for Tet. Gin is very happy.”
In Nang 1 village, Muong Ly commune, out of 84 households, 65 are involved in cassava cultivation. Over the past few years, this crop has provided a stable economic income for the people. Ngan Van Tinh's family is known as the household that grows the most cassava in the village. With 10 hectares of land planted with this short-term industrial crop, Tinh estimates he could earn hundreds of millions of dong upon harvest, marking a "great success" this year. "As the Party Secretary and Head of Nang 1 village, I want the villagers to listen to me and follow my example. Party members and officials must set an example and lead by example. Seeing the success of my family's cassava cultivation, most households in the village have converted their previously agricultural land to cassava cultivation. As a result, many households have escaped poverty and now have savings. The clearest evidence is that the entire village now only has 4 poor households and 1 near-poor household," Tinh said.
Mr. Ha Van Tuan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Muong Ly commune, said: Muong Ly is the commune with the most cassava cultivation in Muong Lat district, with nearly 1,000 hectares, of which about 400 hectares are planted with high-quality cassava. “With the current cassava price of 1,800 VND/kg, it is estimated that local people could earn tens of billions of VND this season. The people will have a prosperous Tet holiday, and the spring will be bright and full of hope,” Mr. Tuan said.
A wealthy neighborhood amidst the mountains and forests.
Perhaps few would have imagined that in the poorest district of Thanh Hoa province, there would be a "rich neighborhood" nestled near the border, close to Laos. That's Quang Chieu commune. Fourteen years ago, the poverty rate in this area was 78%. The entire commune had over 1,000 households, most of whom relied on farming for their livelihood. And today, Quang Chieu has undergone a remarkable transformation. Approximately 200 spacious, multi-story houses, valued at 700 million to 1.5 billion VND each, have been built along the roads in Pung and Xim villages, resembling a bustling town. The poverty rate in Quang Chieu has dropped to below 20%.
The Vi Hong Inh family, from Pung village, Quang Chieu commune, has two sons who work abroad in South Korea. Mr. Inh recounts: In 2015, his son, Vi Van Hieu (34 years old), after completing his college education, continued to study Korean, passed a skills test, and then flew to South Korea. Initially, Hieu worked in agriculture , earning 30-50 million VND per month. Later, he switched to working as a construction worker, earning 70-80 million VND per month. In 2019, following in his brother's footsteps, Vi Van Hao also went to South Korea hoping for a better life. Currently, Hao earns a similar income to his brother, 60-70 million VND per month.
Mr. Inh said: "Every month, Hieu and Hao send their parents a total of about 60 million dong. With this money, I decided to build a house worth over 1 billion dong to protect them from the rain and wind and to use for a major purpose for my two children in the future. The old, dilapidated wooden house where three generations lived has now been replaced by a two-story house, one of the most spacious in the village. Since moving to the new house, I haven't been able to sleep for several nights. For almost my entire life, my wife and I never dared to think about building a house. Thanks to our children, we are now protected from the rain and sun. Every time Tet (Lunar New Year) comes, relatives and family gather together to celebrate with the villagers," Mr. Inh said.
Currently, Quang Chieu commune has 317 people working abroad, mostly in Taiwan (China), South Korea, and Japan. More than 50 people in the locality are currently studying Korean, and over 30 have completed their exams and are awaiting departure procedures. Mr. Vi Van Thuan, Vice Chairman of the Quang Chieu Commune People's Committee, shared: “By the end of 2024, the total amount of money sent back by children working abroad will exceed 60 billion VND. From the contributions of the people, the commune has built many infrastructure projects, concreted 50 km of roads in 13 villages, and 8 villages have achieved new rural standards.”
Regarding the labor export program, Mr. Truong Van Binh, Head of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Muong Lat District People's Committee, said: From January to December 2024, the entire district had an additional 96 workers going to work abroad. “Identifying this as one of the important solutions for finding employment, the district is responsible for coordinating and promptly resolving difficulties and risks during the contract implementation process, as well as focusing on providing knowledge, vocational training, and foreign language training for workers. The district has provided financial support to 32 workers going to work abroad with a total amount of 152 million VND; and coordinated with the Social Policy Bank branch to create conditions for workers to access loans...”
Bright colors
Returning to the story of cassava cultivation, Muong Lat chose cassava as a livelihood to help people quickly earn income and secure their lives. From there, people felt confident in planting forests and other perennial crops with higher economic value. Mr. Tran Van Thang, Head of the Agriculture Department of the People's Committee of Muong Lat district, said: “In the 2024 cassava crop season, the entire district has 3,000 households planting 3,020 hectares, with an estimated yield of 18-20 tons/ha, expected to bring in about 110 billion VND.”
Mr. Trinh Van The, Chairman of the People's Committee of Muong Lat District, said: The district has worked with Phuc Thinh Agricultural and Forestry Products Processing and Supply Joint Stock Company. The company has agreed to initially sign a contract to purchase 1,600 out of 3,020 hectares of cassava from local farmers. “In April 2024, the district established a Steering Committee and is coordinating with the aforementioned company to complete investment procedures and begin construction of a cassava starch processing plant in the area. We have identified this as a key crop that will bring breakthroughs and help the people gradually change their lives.”
Mr. The added that Muong Lat's economy continues to experience positive growth, with increasing investment in infrastructure, especially transportation, electricity, and cultural and educational infrastructure, ensuring comprehensive and highly connected infrastructure. The estimated growth rate of production value in 2024 is 3.77%, an increase of 2.04% compared to the same period last year and 0.37% compared to the annual plan.
Source: https://daidoanket.vn/xuan-am-mien-bien-vien-10299171.html
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