Hope for new crops

In recent times, Lang Chanh district has been constantly promoting the search, association, and development of new crops that bring high economic value. Among them, giang trees and mai trees for leaves are expected to be the new "poverty-escape trees" of the people here.

Hope for new crops Giang tree is grown on the land of Tan Thuy village, Tan Phuc commune.

These are two types of bamboo and reed plants, so they are very suitable for the climate and soil characteristics of Lang Chanh district. According to research, giang is a key crop that brings high economic efficiency in many northern mountainous provinces. The tree has the advantage that after each leaf harvest, the amount of leaves produced in a new batch is greater. In Lang Chanh, giang is grown by Mr. Mai Xuan Thao in Dong Luong commune, developing a model of leaf-harvesting trees on an area of nearly 20 hectares.

In addition to harvesting leaves that meet the criteria for drying and exporting, people can use small branches and leaves as food for buffaloes and cows. During the bamboo shoot growing season, people prune the leaves to sell, increasing their income. This is an easy-to-care-for plant, and will be harvested after 8 months; leaves can be harvested 6 to 7 times a year. Mr. Thao's family is currently preparing documents to establish a cooperative, aiming to build a factory to process giang leaves for export.

Similarly, apricot trees are also a leaf crop. Lang Chanh district is developing this tree to become a key local crop. Because this is an easy-to-grow tree, adapts to natural conditions, has low investment capital but a long harvest cycle. With 1 hectare of land, 300 apricot bushes can be planted, each year generating an income of 120 to 150 million VND. Dried apricot leaves can be exported to markets in Taiwan, China, Japan... Currently, in Lang Chanh district, Tan Diamond Company (located in Ha Hoi city) is investing in planting 30 hectares of new apricot trees in Yen Khuong commune, while also processing and exporting. In 2024, the company plans to expand its area to 300 hectares in some communes such as Yen Thang, Tan Phuc... In phase 1, the company is renting land from people, hiring people to plant, care for and harvest. In the next phase, the company plans to supply seeds to people, grow them together with businesses, and the company commits to purchasing all products.

Vice Chairman of Tan Phuc Commune People's Committee Tran Manh Thang said: The locality is experimenting with planting mai and giang trees on an area of 2 hectares in some villages. It is expected to expand to 30 hectares in Chac Ranh village. In terms of economic value, as well as characteristics, suitability in climate and soil, this crop has many advantages. With a large land area, if all conditions are met to expand production linkages and product consumption, it is expected that this will be a "poverty escape tree" for the people in the near future.

In addition to new crops that have shown positive signs such as mai and giang trees, Lang Chanh district has also made great efforts in maintaining and promoting traditional crops. In particular, the district has focused on intensive cultivation and restoration of more than 5,000 hectares of bamboo forests. Expanding the area of bamboo plantations in the communes of Yen Khuong, Yen Thang, Lam Phu... The district has also encouraged and expanded dozens of hectares of medicinal plants in the communes of Tan Phuc, Dong Luong, Giao An, Tri Nang, Yen Khuong, Yen Thang, bringing about efficiency.

To aim at forming a sustainable chain of links, Lang Chanh district has focused on attracting investment from enterprises, especially processing and manufacturing enterprises, associated with intensive cultivation areas of raw materials such as bamboo, rattan, and reed. Up to now, the district has attracted 11 enterprises, cooperatives, and forest product processing facilities in operation. These facilities are mainly focused on the field of production and processing of products from bamboo, rattan, acacia, and miscellaneous woods.

Article and photos: Dinh Giang

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