(HBO) – Being keen on gardening, Nguyen Van Thang, born in Hanoi’s outlying Ba Vi district in 1969, has been spending more than 20 years in Thung Rech, a rich soil area in Tu Son commune of Kim Boi district (Hoa Binh province). Between 1992 and 1997, he was known as "King of Sugarcane” in Thung Rech. He was the first to grow sugarcane in the area, leading to a mass cultivation that helped local people alleviate hunger and reduce poverty.
Nguyen Van Thang stands next to a grapefruit nursery.
Thang has changed the mind
of local residents when he first brought red sugarcane to Thung Rech.
At first, he planted
sugarcane on one hectare and then expanded the area to three hectares. Each
hectare brought him an average annual income of 30 million VND. At the time, red
sugarcane growing became a solution to hunger elimination and poverty reduction
in the area and Thang was called "King of Sugarcane”. However, in 1998, all
sugarcane plantation areas were ruined by fires, causing great economic losses.
In 2000, Thang began growing oranges, mainly Xa Doai orange varieties, on a
1.5-ha area. His orange garden could produce 70 tonnes at its peak.
To date, his family’s orchards
have been expanded to nearly five hectares, of which three hectares of oranges,
one hectare of lemons and grapefruits, and one hectare of longans. The orchards
rake in over 1 billion VND in revenue each year, with a disposable profit of
700 million VND.
Thanks to his creative
dynamism and willingness to restructure the crops, Thang has turned himself
into a millionaire in Thung Rech. He has also created stable jobs and incomes for
15 labourers.
Since late 2016 when Thang
joined Muong Dong Agriculture & Trade Cooperative, he has been encouraged
to follow a farming model that is suitable to the locality’s potential and
advantages.
To help the crops develop
well, Thang combined different types of fertilizers for the best results.
Oranges from his garden
are sweet and become a favorite among consumers. Thang revealed that preventing
diseases and using fertilizers are the most important tasks in growing oranges
and mandarins. He frequently examines the garden to prune tree branches and
promptly detect symptoms of diseases. Thang and other members of the Muong Dong
Agriculture & Trade Cooperative are now following a new cultivation method
that promotes the use of organic fertilizers to ensure food safety and protect the
environment.
Thang’s achievements are
admirable, reflecting the aspiration and perseverance of a man who dares to
leave the city to settle in a remote area and always strives to get rid of poverty.
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.
