The journey from idea to reality

The Pha Daeng Agricultural Products Processing Factory construction project (under the Mountainous Development Company Limited, Economic Cooperation Corporation, Military Region 4) was started in November 2023. The project is invested by the Laos - Vietnam Border Development Steering Committee ( Ministry of National Defense of the Lao PDR); Economic Cooperation Corporation, Military Region 4 is the design and construction consultant; with a total investment value of 26 billion Kip and a system of advanced and modern machinery and production equipment. After only one year of urgent construction, on December 10, 2024, the factory was officially inaugurated and put into operation.

Local leaders, Lao Ministry of Defense and Military Region 4 visited Pha Daeng Agricultural Processing Factory.

To ensure a stable source of raw materials for the factory, in 2023, immediately after the project was approved, the Mountainous Development Company Limited coordinated with local authorities to survey and plan raw material areas in 30 villages, and at the same time organized propaganda and mobilized people to participate in cultivating arrowroot.

Starting with 2 hectares of pilot planting, after only one year, the area of ​​​​arrowroot has expanded to 84 hectares, along with 200 hectares of cassava. The factory not only purchases all agricultural products from the people, but also provides guidance on planting and care techniques to ensure the highest productivity and quality. As of February 2025, the factory has purchased more than 2,000 tons of arrowroot tubers, produced 200 tons of starch and 20 tons of high-quality arrowroot vermicelli, with a total purchase value of nearly 4 billion Kip. The project not only helps Lao people escape poverty but also opens up a sustainable future for households that once struggled to make a living.

Officers and employees of Pha Daeng Agricultural Processing Factory operate the production line.

Mr. Xeng Po Tho's family, Pung Ka village (Pha Daeng village cluster) used to live in poverty because of their unstable farming practices. Now, thanks to growing arrowroot, his family has a stable source of income. He happily said: "Before, life was very difficult, there was no rice, no cassava to eat. But since participating in the arrowroot growing project of the Mountain Development Company Limited, my family has been provided with seeds, fertilizers, and instructions on planting and harvesting. In the 2024 crop, my family harvested 5 tons of arrowroot, which were sold for nearly 10 million Kip. Thanks to that, I have money to buy rice, buy household items, and take care of my children."

Not only Mr. Xeng Po Tho, many other families in Pha Daeng village cluster like Mr. Chia Mua (Pa Khom village) also used to struggle for food and clothing, but now their lives are better thanks to the income from growing arrowroot. “Before, I thought that I could only earn money by working far away. But now, right in my homeland, I can still make a living, even better than before. I will stay here to do business and not go anywhere far anymore,” Mr. Chia Mua shared.

The foundation for sustainable development

Few people know that to achieve this result, it is a long journey full of hardships, hard work, serious work, dedication and affection. Colonel Thai Ngoc The, Director of the Mountainous Development Company Limited, shared: “Right from the beginning of the project, we have closely coordinated with the provincial and district authorities of Laos to survey and plan the raw material areas. All work from propaganda, mobilizing people, to technical guidance, supporting fertilizers and seeds are all carried out methodically. We not only build factories but also accompany people in taking care of crops, helping them change their production mindset and increase their income in a sustainable way.”

Officers and employees of Pha Daeng Agricultural Processing Factory operate the production line.

Thanks to the company's support, by 2024, hundreds of families in Pha Daeng village cluster and surrounding areas will not only have an average income of 8-10 million Kip/household, but also contribute to reducing labor migration. People who used to leave their hometowns to work for hire have now returned to participate in production, joining hands to build their homeland.

Comrade Suksomphan Keomixay, Secretary and Chairman of Khuan District emphasized: “We sincerely thank the Mountain Development Company for its support. The project of growing and processing cassava not only helps the local economy develop but also creates jobs, contributes to hunger eradication and poverty reduction, reduces social evils and overcomes the situation of shifting cultivation and migration. Besides supporting production, the company also helps build infrastructure, roads, irrigation, schools, cultural houses, etc. and organizes medical examination and treatment, and provides free medicine to the people; thanks to that, the economic life, health, culture and living standards of the people are improved; the political security situation, social order and safety in the area and border areas are stabilized”.

The project not only provides livelihoods, but also opens up a brighter future for the people of Pha Daeng and the surrounding area. The seeds of development and hope have been sown and from here, the fertile fields will continue to bloom, demonstrating the close solidarity between the two brotherly countries of Vietnam and Laos. As a familiar saying of the people here: "With land, with trees, with affection - there will surely be a day of prosperity".

Article and photos: HOANG THAI

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/tao-sinh-ke-cho-nhan-dan-lao-856329