The tree that helps people in the border area of Ha Tinh escape poverty

Previously, on the gentle hills of Son Kim 2 commune ( Ha Tinh ), people mainly grew corn, potatoes, peanuts... with unstable productivity. Because of the poor terrain and harsh weather, crops did not bring the expected results, many households did not have stable jobs, and life became difficult.

However, over the past 10 years, thanks to the guidance of local authorities and specialized units, many households have boldly converted ineffective agricultural and forestry land to industrial tea plantations. Notably, not only are they supported in care techniques, but people are also connected to consume products through local fresh tea purchasing enterprises.

The family of Ms. Le Thi Thanh (40 years old, Ha Vang village) is one of the pioneers in converting corn and peanut growing land to tea growing since 2014. Currently, the family has a total area of over 2.3 hectares. With this tea area, each year her family harvests 5-6 batches of tea, earning an income of over 200 million VND. Thanks to the stable income, Ms. Thanh's family has escaped poverty, become rich, and has the conditions to send their children to school.

“Growing tea is not as hard as growing short-term crops, but the economic efficiency is many times higher, especially compared to crops such as corn, potatoes, cassava, etc. Since switching to growing tea, my family has had a job, a stable income, and my children have had better conditions for education,” Ms. Thanh shared.

For many years, Mr. Tran Dinh Hoa (65 years old, resident of Thuong Kim village) has also been attached to tea trees. Thanks to this crop, his family has developed from a poor household and become rich on the barren land.

According to Mr. Hoa, growing tea does not require much investment, but provides stable, long-term income. Since switching to growing tea, each crop he harvests nearly 2 tons of fresh tea, and businesses come to buy it at the garden, so he is very excited.

“We grow tea but don’t worry about the output because we have had a business partner to buy it for many years. Almost everyone in this area has now converted ineffective hilly land to grow tea, thanks to which people’s lives have become more stable,” Mr. Hoa shared.

From difficult land to green tea hills

From a border area of Ha Tinh province with a difficult life and lack of sustainable livelihood, Son Kim 2 commune is now gradually "changing its skin". Not only providing a stable income, tea trees also help Son Kim 2 people have regular jobs, creating more jobs for hundreds of seasonal workers, contributing to promoting economic and social development in the border area.

After many years of crop conversion, up to now, the entire Son Kim 2 commune has developed, planting over 410 hectares of tea, mainly concentrated in villages such as Ha Vang, Thuong Kim, Bai Mau... The average yield of tea in the mountainous area is from 18 - 20 tons/ha/year, and with the tea area converted from agricultural land, the fresh tea output can reach 23 - 25 tons/ha/year. Tea trees have gradually affirmed their position as the main crop of the locality, opening up a direction for sustainable economic development for people in the border area.

People in Son Kim 2 commune are excited that their income from growing tea is higher than that from other crops. (Photo by The Tuan)

According to the leader of the People's Committee of Son Kim 2 commune, in the process of implementing the National Target Program on new rural construction and sustainable poverty reduction, the locality has developed a plan to restructure the agricultural sector associated with tea development. Son Kim 2 commune has also coordinated with functional agencies to open training courses on tea planting, care and harvesting techniques to improve productivity and quality. The goal is not only to escape poverty but also to gradually improve the local tea brand, aiming for export.

"We determined that this is a crop suitable for the climate and soil conditions, and has a stable output, so we have focused on expanding the area, connecting with businesses to consume products, and creating stable jobs for people," the commune leader shared.