Yen Tri female farmer turns barren land into billion-dollar garden

Not resigned to barren land, ineffective rice and corn cultivation, hundreds of farming households in Yen Thuy are gradually changing their lives, getting rich right on their homeland thanks to knowing how to "join hands" with science, technology and the market. Among them, farmer member Khuat Thi Thanh, Dai Dong village, Ngoc Luong commune, Yen Thuy district, Hoa Binh province (old) now Dai Dong village, Yen Tri commune, Phu Tho province (new) is known as a shining example, bringing delicious grapefruits "overseas" to England and America.

"Risking oneself" to change land - firmly reaching far

Recalling 2010 when Mrs. Thanh's family's 0.7ha land was still surrounded by low-yield corn and rice plants, with unstable income, and a life filled with constant worries about food and clothing. Worried that if they had land but kept growing corn and rice, when would they ever get better? After many sleepless nights, Mrs. Thanh boldly made a decision: Renovate the entire ineffective land area to grow pomelos - a fruit tree expected to bring "gold" to her homeland.

Ms. Khuat Thi Thanh next to her family's pomelo garden that meets export standards.

In the early days of starting the model, Ms. Thanh encountered many difficulties. Due to lack of experience, the grapefruit garden did not produce fruit regularly in the first years, and many times it seemed like she was about to surrender to the challenge. However, with her will and determination, Ms. Thanh was not discouraged. She told herself: The land does not disappoint people, only people are afraid of not being persistent! Thinking so, she actively researched and participated in training courses on planting and caring for fruit trees organized by the Farmers' Association, diligently learning from books, newspapers, and experienced people.

By 2015, Mrs. Thanh's family's grapefruit garden began to bear sweet fruit. Also in this year, Dai Dong Agricultural Cooperative was established, with Mrs. Thanh as one of the key members. From here, her grapefruit growing model shifted to a more professional direction: Having a care diary, choosing standard varieties, using organic fertilizers, and biological pest control.

Dien grapefruit in Mrs. Thanh's family garden has beautiful appearance and sweetness that meets export needs thanks to the organic standard care process.

Not only stopping at Dien grapefruit, she expanded to other varieties such as green-skin grapefruit, red grapefruit, and Soi Ha grapefruit. Up to now, her family has 2.3 hectares of grapefruit, harvesting tens of tons of fruit each year on average. The most memorable achievement was in 2020, when the cooperative's Dien grapefruit product was recognized as OCOP at the provincial level. By the end of 2022, the first 1,000 grapefruits were exported to the UK market. In 2023, the cooperative continued to export 50,000 fruits to the UK and the US, including 6,000 fruits from Ms. Thanh's grapefruit garden.

“I never imagined that my pomelos would one day be exported to foreign countries. Vietnamese pomelos are sold in supermarkets in the UK and the US, everyone is proud to hear that!”, Ms. Thanh emotionally shared.

Get rich from grapefruit - share from the heart

From a barren land, Ms. Thanh has risen to become a good farmer and business member of the commune. However, not keeping it to herself, Ms. Thanh is always willing to guide techniques, share experiences, and support plant varieties for farmer members in the commune. Many people have followed her model and started to have a stable income.

Dien grapefruit products of Ms. Thanh's family and Dai Dong Agricultural Cooperative were displayed at the ceremony of exporting the first Dien grapefruit shipment to the UK market in Yen Thuy district, Hoa Binh province (old).

Currently, her family also creates regular jobs for 3 workers with an income of 5 million VND/month/person. Each harvest, she hires 4-6 seasonal workers, paying 300,000 VND/person/day. She shared: “I always think that if I can do it, I must help others to do it too. Grapefruit not only brings income, but also gives farmers the confidence to change their lives.”

Dien grapefruit products of Ms. Thanh's family and Dai Dong Agricultural Cooperative are wrapped in mesh bags, labeled and packaged before export.

Mr. Vu Xuan Oanh, Director of Dai Dong Agricultural Cooperative, Yen Tri Commune, Phu Tho Province, said: In 2024, after deducting expenses, Ms. Thanh's family's "golden" fruit garden yielded a profit of about 500 million VND, affirming the success of this model. With her constant efforts, daring to think, daring to do, and always ready to accompany the people in the area, Ms. Khuat Thi Thanh is a shining example in the movement of farmers competing in production and good business. Her story is also proof of a simple but profound truth: On any land, if you know how to sow faith and knowledge, sweet fruit will bloom.

Thu Hang

Source: https://baophutho.vn/nu-nong-dan-yen-tri-bien-dat-can-thanh-vuon-cay-bac-ty-235562.htm