Nhan Dan - Hung Trang tells about stories about how farmers in Lang Son province have found the ways to get out of poverty.

Ten years ago, the family of Nung ethnic man Phung Van Bat in Doan Ket village, Hoa Son commune, Huu Lung district, Lang Son province had to struggle to survive from poverty and hunger, despite having land for production.

"At that time, I spent much of my time thinking how to escape poverty without capital and experience when I heard the radio programmes about successful stories of farmers in other localities, who became prosperous by developing economy on their own gardens," recalled Mr Bat.

At first, he tried everything his could, including the raising of fish and bees, and the growing of fruit trees, such as apricot, beach and lychee trees.

From production experience, Mr Bat understood the raising of fish earned him a high effectiveness. After successfully producing spawning fish, Mr Bat expanded his ponds. However, when his business experienced ups and downs in fish prices, Mr Bat began to learn how to raise tortoises.

After two years, he was successful with his new business. He now can provide tortoises for farmers in other localities in the district.

Now, each year, Mr Bat earns about VND 50 million from his business.

Nong Van Trien in Ben Cat village, Minh Tien commune, Huu Lung district, has another success story when developing an integrated economy.

Mr Trien now harvests tens of tonnes of rice and maize each year. He also raises pigs, cows, fish and hedgehogs, and provides agricultural production services and materials.

As a result, he now can earn an annual income of between VND 150 million and 170 million.

To help local farmers to develop their household economy, Mr Trien established a club of excellent farmers, which meet on in a quarter to exchange ideas and experience in doing and running businesses. 

In recognition of his achievements Mr Trien was selected to attend a national conference of outstanding farmers.

The way to escape poverty of Vi Van Can in Bo Luong village, Dong Y commune, Bac Son district, was more difficult. Mr Can said he could not earn a living no matter how hard he had tried.

He then returned to his home village and started his business on his home soil, digging ponds to raise fish and growing rice and fruit trees. After three years, Mr Can has 245 grapefruit trees and 480 square metres of ponds, which have initially earned him VND 20 million each year.

As a mountainous province, 80% of its population living in rural areas, Lang Son province has made efforts to promote its economic structure, developing commodity-based production and rural areas.

Concretely, the province has issued many priority policies for that purpose. Therefore, agricultural production's contribution to the province's economy has dropped to 38.9%, while the contribution of other sectors, including forestry, aquaculture and services has increased sharply.

So far, 36,326 households, accounting for 60% of local households, have been recognised as outstanding business households, which earn between VND 20 million and 100 million per year.

In addition, the number of households that have escaped poverty has witnessed a high year-on-year increase, resulting in a sharp fall in the province's poor household number, which is now at 21.8%.

Lang Son province's economic restructuring is characterised with the formation of concentrated goods production areas. For example, the districts of Van Quan, Binh Gia and Trang Dinh have a total area of 32,700 hectares of cinnamon and anise, which produce a total yield 6,000 tonnes. Loc Binh and Dinh Lap districts have over 77,000 hectares of pine trees. Other localities in the province have farmed tens of thousands of hectares of eucalyptus and fruit trees.

However, the restructuring of plants in the province remains slow and local farms are small in size with only 38 farms having an average area of 14 hectares.

In addition, Scientific and technological application into production is still weak, resulting in having a poor and uncompetitive quality of local products.

Therefore, Lang Son province should take concrete measures to call for investment resources from domestic and foreign economic organisations to develop the production of plants of high economic values.

Furthermore, a four party linkage among the State, scientists, businesses and farmers should be promoted to help forestry and agricultural products find a foothold in the market.

Moreover, resources should be mobilised to develop infrastructure facilities, including roads and irrigation works, and trade promotion activities.

Hung Trang