(HBO) – Responding to the appeal of the Party, Nguyen Van Chien from Dan Phuong district, former Ha Tay province, and other 100 local young people moved to work in the Hoa Binh lake area in Voi hamlet, Thai Thinh commune, the northern province of Hoa Binh, in 1978. Three years later, he decided to make a living from scratch in the locality. After 40 years, he built a big stilt house surrounded by 10-ha pomelo orchard which earns him hundreds of millions of Vietnam dong a year. However, Chien’s biggest asset is his strong will and great endeavours to surmount any difficulties he met.
Nguyen Van Chien, Voi hamlet, Thai Thinh commune, Hoa Binh
city, stands in his pomelo orchard.
Though coming from the
majority Kinh ethnic group, Chien built a stilt house of the Muong ethnic
minority group. When I entered his house, Chien’s family just came back from a
visit to their garden where they dug bamboo shoots for sale. Chien said he
planted the bamboo trees since the early years when he came here with the
support of the State. He pockets tens of millions of
Vietnam dong annually from bamboo
shoots. Four members of his family harvested 2 million tonnes of bamboo shoots
from 6-10am today, earning more than 1 million VND.
After returning from
military service, Chien and his wife decided to settle in Voi hamlet. Then, the
road linking Hoa Binh city and Voi hamlet was a trail running along hills to
the lake. On the very first days, they built a tent by wood and bamboo, and
planted corn, cassava and bean. They worked all days and came home late at
night. The cultivation of corn and cassava required great efforts but it was
even harder to sell the products. He had to get up at 3m to carry about 7km of
corn and cassava to Hoa Binh town to sell. After coming back from the market,
he continued with the farming work. If there was no corn and cassava, Chien
collected firewood to bring to the market to trade for rice and food.
After failures in planting
apricot and plum, Chien decided to bring pomelo trees from his hometown to Voi
hamlet. It was said that the severe weather conditions and mountainous soil in
the locality could not support the growth of pomelo trees. After three years,
the pomelo trees bore good-quality fruits, which motivated him to expand the
cultivation.
Taking me to the
closely-fruited pomelo orchard, Chien said Dien pomelo trees require less care
and bear tasty fruits. Traders commented that my pomelo fruits are better than
those planted in other areas. Chien said he now owns nearly
10 ha of pomelo trees. Last
year, the orchard gave a yield of more than 20,000 pomelo fruits. Apart from
the fruit, Chien also planted persimmon, guava and custard apple. Last year, he
constructed a concrete road leading to the garden.
Chien’s son, Nguyen Van
Huu, told me before saying goodbye that strong will and diligence is the asset
they have inherited from his parents./.
Viet Lam
Dao Village’s honey – a product certified with a 3-star OCOP (One Commune One Product) rating by Thong Nhat Agricultural Cooperative in Dao Village (Hoa Binh City) – is highly regarded by consumers for its quality, richness, and variety in packaging. The distinctively sweet taste of Dao Village’s honey leaves a lasting impression on anyone who has tried it.
In alignment with Project No. 07-DA/TU, issued by the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee on November 1, 2021, Lac Thuy district has actively promoted investment and supported the sustainable development of its industrial and handicraft sectors during the 2021–2025 period. Alongside this, the district has remained committed to preserving and revitalising traditional craft villages.
Located in the northern part of Lac Thuy district, with a temperate climate and fertile soil, Phu Thanh commune has great potential and advantages in growing tea. The long-standing experience, combined with strict adherence to organic farming practices in the tea gardens, ensures that the dried tea products from Phu Thanh and Lac Thuy as a whole are sold out immediately upon production, providing a stable and prosperous life for the local people.
Amid efforts to streamline the administrative apparatus, Hoa Binh province has intensified measures to address challenges in land clearance, resettlement support, and infrastructure investment, aiming to speed up the progress of key projects.
Hoa Binh province has posted an unprecedented economic growth rate of 12.76% in the first quarter of 2025, marking its highest quarterly performance to date and positioning it as the second fastest-growing locality in the country, trailing only Bac Giang province.
Under current regulations, products in the One Commune – One Product (OCOP) programme that are rated three stars or higher must undergo re-evaluation every three months. However, in reality, some of these products fail to consistently meet the required standards, raising concerns about the sustainability of their OCOP certification. This underscores the urgent need for producers to enhance product quality and gradually develop their OCOP products into strong, marketable brands.
