(HBO) – Half of Lac Thuy district’s forest areas of 19,100 hectares are cultivated with longan, litchi and other perennial trees, which serves as a good ground for the development of honey and bee sector. Bestowed with favourable weather conditions, Lac Thuy district has gained high economic efficiency from apiculture. Thanks to its high quality, local honey has met the taste of the market and become the main source of income of many households.
Duong Van Uu’s family in Hong Phong
village, Yen Bong commune, is now having 200 be swarms of bees. Last year, his
family earned 200 million VND from 2,000 litres of honey.
Duong Van Uu’s family in Hong Phong village, Yen Bong commune, began the job in
1972 and now they are having 200 swarms of bees which generate some 2,000
litres of honey each year. The family earns an average of over 200 million VND
from selling the honey.
Uu said that beekeeping is not difficult but it requires keepers’ carefulness
and deep understanding of the bees’ habitat like bee swarm season and foraging
season as well as various kinds of flowers. Longan, litchi, acacia and eucalyptusare best for bees with honey production.
Foraging season is between February and July, particularly from May, households
harvest honey two or three times a month. Meanwhile, when nectar becomes scare
in the cold season, beekeepers should work to prevent absconding, he said.
With more than 40 years of experience in beekeeping, Ha Huu Huong in Zone 7,
Chi Ne town, has 50 swarms of bees. Last year, he harvested 500 litres of honey
and gained 100 million VND.
"Choosing queen bees is of utmost
importance as they play a decisive role in developing a healthy swarm and
producing high-quality honey. Disease prevention should get due attention. Gearing
towards clean products, our honey has been favoured by many traders. As each
litre of honey is sold at 160,000 VND, our family earn over 100 million VND
each year”, he said.
According to Hoang Dinh Chinh, deputy head of the Lac Thuy district’s bureau of
agriculture and rural development, the trade is not new in Lac Thuy. It was developed
in a small scale, then the model is widened widely thanks to its economic
efficiency. Taking advantage of the forest land, local people have rushed to
farm bees, with 500 households keeping 10,000 swarms. Each year, the district
harvests 120 tonnes of honey and gains over 20 billion VND.
Many people have shifted to beekeeping as this job does not require to big investment
but brings about a stable income. However, it requires high techniques and
carefulness in each stage.
Beekeeping is potential for local economic development, making significant
contributions to the alleviation of poverty and improvement of local livelihoods.
Therefore, Lac Thuy district has worked to encourage local farmers to develop
the bee swarms while planting more forests to create food for bees. Apiculture
is well developed in Yen Bong and Khoan Du commune, and Chi Ne town.
In a bid to make beekeeping as a spearhead in the local economy, local
authorities should give more support to the farmers so that they can develop a sustainable
model and build Lac Thuy honey brand./.
Once a mountainous province facing many challenges, Hoa Binh has, after more than a decade of implementing the national target programme on new-style rural area development, emerged as a bright spot in Vietnam’s northern midland and mountainous region. In the first quarter of 2025, the province recorded positive results, paving the way for Hoa Binh to enter a phase of accelerated growth with a proactive and confident mindset.
Hoa Binh province is steadily advancing its agricultural sector through the adoption of high-tech solutions, seen as a sustainable path for long-term development.
The steering committee for key projects of Hoa Binh province convened on May 14 to assess the progress of major ongoing developments
A delegation of Hoa Binh province has attended the "Meet Korea 2025" event, recently held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Vietnam, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, and the People's Committee of Hung Yen province.
Hoa Binh province joined Vietnam’s national "One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) programme in 2019, not simply as a mountainous region following central policy, but with a clear vision to revive the cultural and agricultural values in its villages and crops.
From just 16 certified products in its inaugural year to 158 by early 2025, the One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme in Hoa Binh province has followed a steady and strategic path. But beyond the numbers, it has reawakened local heritage, turning oranges, bamboo shoots, brocade, and herbal remedies into branded, market-ready goods - and, more profoundly, transformed how local communities value and present their own cultural identity.
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