Sustainable poverty reduction from changing production thinking

With diligence, solidarity, the attention and support of the State and the spirit of the people, Gia Hoi commune is striving to achieve the goal of sustainable poverty reduction by opening up an economic development direction suitable to the characteristics of the highland region.

With a population of 14,908 people, of which ethnic minorities account for 89.39%, the whole commune has 198 poor households. Gia Hoi is one of the localities facing many difficulties in socio-economic development. Recognizing these difficulties, the Party Committee and the commune government determined that sustainable poverty reduction must start from promoting agricultural advantages, innovating production thinking, and increasing income value per cultivation unit. On that basis, the commune focuses on directing the transformation of crop and livestock structure towards commodity production linked to the market; promoting intensive cultivation, applying science and technology, and introducing new high-yield and high-quality plant and animal varieties into production.

Currently, Gia Hoi maintains a rice area of 790 hectares (2 crops/year), 888 hectares of Shan Tuyet tea, 306.7 hectares of fruit trees, 1,500 hectares of cinnamon and more than 1,532 hectares of planted forests. Thanks to the good development of land and climate potential, the commune's agricultural and forestry production has achieved high efficiency, the average income value/ha of cultivated land has increased from 50 - 60 million VND, the total output of grain food has reached nearly 6,000 tons, the main livestock herd has reached 5,878 heads, the output of fresh meat for sale is more than 900 tons per year. The agricultural economy is increasingly prosperous, people's lives have gradually improved.

In the midst of this change, Gia Hoi people continue to seek new directions to increase production value. Among the green Shan Tuyet tea hills, Gia Hoi people have boldly intercropped macadamia - a tree known as the "queen of dried fruits". This model not only helps increase income, but also creates a stable agricultural ecosystem, prevents erosion, retains moisture and reduces the impact of drought and frost on tea.

Mr. Ha Van Hung - Vice Chairman of Gia Hoi Commune People's Committee said: The whole commune currently has 260 hectares of macadamia mixed with tea. From the actual survey, it shows that macadamia trees are very suitable for the soil conditions of the area. The commune encourages planting macadamia mixed with tea to take advantage of the land, both promoting economic efficiency and protecting the ecological environment.

Mr. Chu Van Tot, Hai Chan village is one of the pioneer farmers in growing macadamia trees. Mr. Tot shared: In 2020, I tried planting 200 macadamia trees in the tea hills. After 4 years, the trees started to bear fruit with 40kg of fruit. When macadamia is the main crop, income will certainly increase many times while still maintaining a stable source of income from tea. This model not only helps people diversify their income but also opens up a direction for green agricultural development, adapting to climate change.

Not only innovating in cultivation, Gia Hoi people also boldly seek new directions in animal husbandry. The model of raising deer for velvet is considered a bright spot, helping many households become increasingly prosperous.

Mr. Chu Van Linh, Hai Chan village said: In 2018, after visiting effective models, I invested in buying 2 pairs of deer. After two years, the deer began to reproduce, and antlers were harvested. Up to now, the herd has 15 deer, each year I earn tens of millions of dong, enough to cover the cost of raising children, education and savings.

According to the local government, spotted deer are suitable livestock for mountainous conditions: low cost, few diseases, and can make use of agricultural by-products. This is a model that can be replicated, creating a new direction in household economic development, contributing to sustainable poverty reduction.

The encouraging results of Gia Hoi in sustainable poverty reduction stem from the consensus between the Party's will and the people's heart, from farmers who dare to think, dare to do and dare to change their production mindset. Green tea hills intercropped with macadamia, spotted deer farms, typical OCOP products... all are showing a direction in line with the long-term vision for sustainable development of the locality.