Create stable output for mulberry growing

Agricultural Cooperative 118 consumes and purchases silkworm cocoons from farmers in western communes of Cao Bang province.

Up to now, growing mulberry and raising silkworms has become an important profession, creating stable income for farmers in the western communes of Cao Bang province.

The journey of building and developing Agricultural Cooperative 118 started in 2013. Implementing the cooperation program between Bao Lac district (old) and Na Po district, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (China) coordinated, transferred techniques, and developed mulberry planting and silkworm raising in Bao Lac.

Appreciating the economic efficiency of mulberry growing and silkworm raising, in 2013, farmer Nong Van Hoan (now Director of Agricultural Cooperative 118), born in 1985, went to Na Po district to study and returned to develop mulberry growing and silkworm raising.

Initially growing mulberry and raising silkworms had successes and failures, but thanks to perseverance and a love of learning, Mr. Hoan's family has mastered the techniques of growing mulberry, raising silkworms, producing and trading silkworm cocoons effectively. Developing the model from small to large, realizing the economic efficiency of growing mulberry and raising silkworms, in 2019, Mr. Hoan established Agricultural Cooperative 118 specializing in supplying mulberry and silkworm varieties and purchasing silkworm cocoons from farmers.

The cooperative started operating when the Covid-19 epidemic broke out, causing disruptions to production and business, greatly affecting it. By 2022, when the socio-economy had gradually returned to normal, Mr. Hoan started to restore production, research, connect, and go to Moc Chau (Son La province) to sign a product consumption contract with Tay Bac Mulberry and Silk Joint Stock Company. With stable output, reasonable purchase price, mulberry growing area, and the number of families associated with mulberry growing and silkworm raising of the cooperative have continuously expanded and developed.

Currently, Agricultural Cooperative 118 is associated with about 600 families in communes in the province to grow mulberry, raise silkworms, and collect cocoons for sale, with a total mulberry growing area of about 560 hectares. Mr. Hoang Van Minh, Lung Tien hamlet, Bao Lac commune, said that with the cooperative's advance payment of mulberry seeds, silkworm seeds, and materials for production, his family has developed mulberry growing and silkworm raising.

On an area of 750 square meters, Mr. Minh's family grows mulberry and raises silkworms, each year they harvest about 400 kg of cocoons, with a selling price of 190 thousand VND/kg, each year the family earns nearly 80 million VND. From a poor household, thanks to growing mulberry and raising silkworms, my family's life has now stabilized and gradually improved.

In addition to linking, providing seeds, production materials and consuming products for mulberry growers and silkworm breeders, Agricultural Cooperative 118 currently creates jobs for 24 workers, making an important contribution to the task of sustainable poverty reduction, helping many farmers become rich.

In the process of investing in production and business development, Director of Agricultural Cooperative 118 Nong Van Hoan realized that to increase the productivity of mulberry leaf harvesting and silkworm cocoon harvesting, ensuring the quality of plant and animal varieties is very important. To avoid being passive and not depending on the source of mulberry and silkworm seeds for production, the cooperative rented 3 hectares of land, self-cultivated mulberry seeds, and supplied them to farmers.

Mr. Hoan learned, searched, and applied the model technique of "Building a silkworm egg bank, incubating silkworms and creatively designing a silkworm cocoon raising house". Since 2022, the cooperative has produced and supplied about 36 tons of silkworm seeds with guaranteed quality, providing farmers with the opportunity to develop production. The cooperative has also invested in building a factory and three cold storages to preserve silkworm cocoons after purchasing them from farmers.

Actively expanding links, supporting farmers with techniques, production materials and applying technology to serve production and business, the operation of Agricultural Cooperative 118 is increasingly stable and developing. The total revenue of the cooperative is about more than 40 billion VND/year, the average income of families growing mulberry and raising silkworms is about 70 to 80 million VND/household/year.

Actively and proactively investing, applying technology, developing production and business, creating opportunities for local farmers to invest in production development, having a stable income stream, in 2024, Mr. Nong Van Hoan was awarded the title "Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer" by the Vietnam Farmers' Association.

Comrade Vu Van De, Secretary of the Party Committee of Bao Lac Commune, said that Agricultural Cooperative 118 is a typical unit in the locality, which has made many contributions in creating stable output for products of mulberry growing and silkworm raising; helping hundreds of farming families to solve jobs, improve and gradually increase income, actively contributing to the work of rapid and sustainable poverty reduction, and local socio-economic development.

Article and photos: MINH TUAN

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tao-dau-ra-on-dinh-cho-nghe-trong-dau-post910838.html