Muong land on the new economic journey Part 3 - achievements on Muong land

V-ORGANIC Organic Agricultural Cooperative (Tan Lac) is one of the leading cooperatives in

high technology application in production

"Sowing" technology, the homeland bears golden harvest

From a production group with only 7 members, the Cao Phong Agricultural Products 3T Cooperative (3T Farm) has gradually grown, turning ordinary orange gardens into "golden" fruit-laden fields, standardized according to VietGAP procedures. After only a few years, the number of cooperative members has increased, the orange growing area has expanded, and there have been clear changes in the farmers' production thinking.

No longer growing crops in the old way, members of 3T Farm Cooperative learned how to "nourish" the soil with organic fertilizers, minimize pesticides, and say no to herbicides. But perhaps the biggest turning point was when the Cooperative decided not to stop at growing oranges but boldly entered the field of deep processing. Orange detox tea, pure orange powder, orange jam... were born one after another, helping the hometown oranges not only stop at the stalls.

Ms. Vu Thi Le Thuy - Director of the Cooperative, who is also a pioneer in the journey to improve Cao Phong oranges, shared: "If you want to go far, you cannot go alone". 3T Farm was lucky that during the most difficult period, it "met" the Resolution on economic restructuring. The local Party Committee and government created all conditions for 3T to participate in investment promotion activities, support in terms of techniques and technology... From there, not only connecting with farmers, 3T Farm also joined hands with businesses and retail chains to expand product output. Now, Cao Phong oranges have been and are confidently entering the clean food system in Hanoi, Thanh Hoa and many other provinces and cities.

However, the road to the ocean is not paved with roses. Farmers here have faced countless difficulties: from changing farming habits to finding a market. There was a time when they struggled between price and quality, between market demand and production capacity. But then, with the support of the Party Committees and authorities, and a strong belief in green agriculture, with clean oranges not only for eating but also for living, 3T Farm has gradually conquered customers, contributing to bringing the Cao Phong orange brand far and wide. Now, among the endless orange gardens, people not only see the brilliant yellow color of the sweet fruit, but also see the sparkling eyes of hope of the farmers who are writing a new story for this land.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Resolution No. 09-NQ/TU on economic restructuring associated with growth model innovation is like a shower of rain watering fields thirsty for change, bringing not only bumper crops but also opportunities for sustainable enrichment for farmers.

Walking through Quyet Chien commune (Tan Lac), it is not difficult to see rows of lush green vegetables spread out in the greenhouse system of the V-ORGANIC organic agricultural cooperative. On an area of ​​8 hectares, the entire production process complies with strict organic standards. The small drops of water from the automatic irrigation system not only help plants grow well but also reduce labor, minimize pests and diseases without the need for pesticides. Farmers here no longer rely on traditional experience, but have begun to access nutritional parameters, soil moisture, and remote control systems via smartphones.

In Luong Son district, considered a bright spot in Hoa Binh's high-tech agriculture, SkyFarm Company Limited has invested in a solid greenhouse system to grow tomatoes in a closed process. Tomato plants here are "nourished" by automatic irrigation technology, each drop of water and each nutrient is precisely measured. Thanks to this method, the company's revenue from tomatoes reaches over 500 million VND/ha/crop - a figure that even long-time farmers could hardly imagine before.

Not only stopping at favorable areas, in Lac Son, where the land is barren and farming conditions are still limited, the Green Hieu Thinh Agricultural Service Cooperative has proven that, with just a change of mindset, any land can bloom. The Cooperative has boldly applied the drip irrigation system according to Israeli technology. Not only that, microbiological preparations have also been put into use, completely replacing chemical fertilizers, creating safe vegetable products that housewives can completely trust. Not letting down the growers, each hectare of clean vegetables here brings in more than 200 million VND/crop, helping many households escape poverty and become rich...

From modern agricultural production models, a new generation of farmers is gradually taking shape - farmers 4.0. They not only go to the fields but also control the irrigation system remotely, not only sell at the market but also connect with customers via social networks and e-commerce platforms... They are "engineers" in the fields, a generation of farmers who know how to take advantage of technology to master the land, creating products of higher value. And that transformation story is still continuing...

From dirty old fields to expanding exports

Economic restructuring has changed both the appearance and mindset of farming, transforming Hoa Binh agriculture from a small, unstable production base to a highly efficient, large-scale, and linked agriculture.

Although the proportion of agriculture in GRDP has decreased to about 20%, the value that this sector creates has not decreased. The telling figures provided by Mr. Nguyen Huy Nhuan, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hoa Binh Province, have proven that: In the period of 2022 - 2024, the average annual growth rate of GRDP in the agricultural, forestry and fishery sector reached 4.43%. Currently, Hoa Binh has nearly 600 new-style agricultural cooperatives, attracting more than 16,300 households to participate, creating stable jobs for 28,000 rural workers. The outdated farming system is gradually being replaced by Israeli drip irrigation, greenhouses, net houses, according to VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards. Many farming households no longer grow crops based on experience but according to nutritional charts, no longer leave prices to the market but have contracts for consumption...

Ms. Dinh Thi Hoa in Quyet Chien commune (Tan Lac) used to have a hard time with her corn field, with good harvests and bad harvests, and fluctuating prices. Since joining the safe vegetable production chain, with key products such as chayote, radish, squash, pumpkin, etc., signing a contract with Quyet Chien safe vegetable production cooperative, her family's life has changed completely, with an income of hundreds of millions of VND/ha/year.

Ms. Hoa’s small story is a slice of a larger picture: Hoa Binh is transforming. From fragmented production to a systematic, integrated agriculture. From single farmers to sustainable value chains. And from gardens struggling to make a living to specialized, high-income areas.

Coming to each land of Hoa Binh today, it is easy to see the image of concrete roads winding through each small hamlet, extending to the fruit-laden orchards. Solid roofs rise up, looming among the green fields. Children go to school on clean roads, while the elderly leisurely sit on their porches, without the heavy worries of making a living like before. On average, each year, the poverty rate in rural areas decreases by 2.86% (period 2022 - 2024), a figure that clearly reflects the transformation of this land.

According to the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, by 2024, Hoa Binh will have 14 enterprises, cooperatives, and cooperative groups with agricultural and forestry products exported to the EU, US, Canada, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, etc. with a total export output of 4,152 thousand tons and a total value of about 1.89 trillion VND.

Amidst these changes, Hoa Binh farmers have also entered the 4.0 era. They no longer just stick to the land and the village, but have proactively expanded the market, approached e-commerce, and connected to the value chain. In the fields, there is not only sweat but also technology. And on each farmer's face, there are not only wrinkles from years of hard work, but also the confident eyes of those who master the game.

(To be continued)

Hai Yen

Source: https://baohoabinh.com.vn/12/199554/Dat-Muong-tren-hanh-trinh-kinh-te-moi-Bai-3-thanh-qua-tren-dong-dat-xu-Muong.htm