Women in the border area of Dong Thap start a business from 'local resources'

Photo caption — Ms. Trinh Thi Nhu Hoa in Hamlet 3, Thuong Phuoc Commune, started a business with a model of producing dried fish of all kinds.

Dong Thap province has a land border of more than 50km, adjacent to Prey Veng province (Kingdom of Cambodia), in the communes of Thuong Phuoc, Tan Hong, Thong Binh, Tan Ho Co and Hong Ngu and Thuong Lac wards. With the acumen, eagerness to learn and support of the Women's Union at all levels, a number of women in the border area have successfully started their own businesses. A typical example is Ms. Duong Thi Hong Chuyen, residing in Tan Ho Co commune (Dong Thap province) who has become quite rich with the production of dried fish, snakehead fish sausage, and crab sausage.

Realizing the abundant source of local freshwater fish, in 2017, Ms. Chuyen boldly started a business in the profession of processing dried freshwater fish of all kinds such as snakehead fish, snakehead fish, and goby fish... Her entrepreneurial journey encountered many difficulties and challenges. However, thanks to the support of the Women's Union and related units, she had the opportunity to participate in training courses and improve her knowledge about entrepreneurship. Her dried fish production facility gradually stood firm, overcame the difficult period and developed into Ba Khia Foods Seafood Processing Limited Company in 2022.

Ms. Duong Thi Hong Chuyen said that the training and fostering classes on entrepreneurship provide a lot of useful knowledge such as: business ideas, market analysis, packaging design, labels and application of equipment and technology in production... Along with traditional dried freshwater fish, she also researches product diversification, especially fish sausage and crab sausage. Many products of Ba Khia Foods Company have achieved OCOP certification (3 stars) such as: dried frog, dried snakehead fish, dried snakehead fish, dried goby fish, goby fish simmered in tamarind, fish sausage, field crab sausage...

Ms. Chuyen said that the facility's sausage and dried fish products are currently consumed in many provinces and cities across the country, with an average output of nearly 1 ton per month, bringing in revenue of about 120 million VND/month. To ensure timely supply to partners, during peak times, Ms. Chuyen's company creates jobs for about 10 local workers, mainly women, with an average income of 250,000 VND/person/day.

Similarly, taking advantage of natural freshwater fish resources during the flood season, from 2022 to now, Ms. Trinh Thi Nhu Hoa in Hamlet 3, Thuong Phuoc Commune has also started a business with a model of producing dried freshwater fish of all kinds, mainly loach. Ms. Hoa shared that Thuong Phuoc is a locality at the headwaters of Dong Thap, during the flood season, her family orders more than 30 dồn (a tool used to catch fish in the fields). Taking advantage of the raw fish her family catches plus buying more from local people, at peak times, she supplies the market with about 200kg of dried fish of all kinds each month, with a profit of about 10 million VND, contributing to increasing her family's income during the flood season.

To adapt to flood conditions, many households in the border commune of Thuong Phuoc have the habit of building stilt houses. Taking advantage of the empty space under the floor, Ms. Le Thi Trinh, residing in Hamlet 2, Thuong Phuoc Commune, boldly invested in renovating it into a termite mushroom growing area.

Ms. Trinh said that thanks to the stable consumption link with businesses, the output of termite mushrooms is always guaranteed, the selling price ranges from 150,000-250,000 VND/kg. On an area of about 45 m², she grows 4,500 mushroom spawns, harvests more than 1 ton of mushrooms per crop, bringing in revenue of over 150 million VND.

Not only does she develop her family's economy , Ms. Trinh also supports and shares her mushroom growing experience with two other local women, helping them find a new direction to increase their income and stabilize their lives.

Ms. Phan Thi Chi, Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Thuong Phuoc Commune, said: After merging the commune-level administrative units, the Union has developed a plan to support women in starting a business, creating conditions for members to access preferential loans and participate in training courses to improve their knowledge of starting a business. Currently, in the locality, women are developing two prominent start-up models: growing termite mushrooms and processing dried fish. Although the production scale is still small, the termite mushroom growing model brings high economic efficiency, while the drying profession helps women increase the value of available freshwater fish resources during the flood season. In the coming time, the Women's Union of the commune will introduce and replicate these effective models to members, in order to create more livelihoods and increase income for women in border areas.

In recent times, the Women's Union at all levels of Dong Thap province has actively implemented many activities to support women in starting businesses, including many women in border areas. According to the Provincial Women's Union, in the period of 2018-2025, the Union organized nearly 260 training courses, vocational training and equipped more than 11,000 women with knowledge of starting a business; transferred science and technology to over 88,500 members. In addition, the Union has advised and supported 56 enterprises, cooperatives, cooperative groups and business households owned by women in registering intellectual property; supported the establishment of 37 cooperatives managed by women, connected to build brands and develop OCOP products. The whole province currently has 115 OCOP products with 3 stars or higher developed by 75 female entities. In addition, the Women's Union at all levels also helps women access preferential capital of more than 40 billion VND to invest in production and business..., contributing to improving income and economic position for local women.

The Dong Thap Provincial Women's Union assessed that all levels of the Union have been proactive and creative in advising and effectively implementing activities to support women in starting a business. Many women have boldly started businesses, linked production, applied science and technology and accessed the market. Through forms of capital support, equipment, legal advice, career conversion, training, etc., the Union has actively contributed to solving employment for female workers and enhancing the role of women in local economic development. In the coming time, the Union will strengthen communication work, raise awareness about business and starting a business for women; organize training courses related to starting a business; increase the mobilization of financial resources to support women's start-up models.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/phu-nu-vung-bien-dong-thap-khoi-nghiep-tu-tai-nguyen-ban-dia-20251020161155078.htm