The success of the Phu Luong wild chili cultivation model in Quyet Thang commune, Lac Son district, not only demonstrates the economic potential of this plant but also affirms the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation of ethnic minority women.

Members of Phu Luong Wild Chili cooperative group in Quyet Thang
Commune, Lac Son district, process and package products.
Bui Thi Ha, head of the Phu
Luong Wild Chili cooperative group, said that chili plants have long been
associated with the lives of local residents.
"With the unique soil and
climate, wild chili plants here have a distinct aroma and spicy taste, becoming
an indispensable spice in every daily meal of people in Phu Luong region,” she
noted.
The cooperative group was set
up in 2018 with 15 members and a cultivation area of 3,000 sq.m, Ha recalled. The area for chili farming
has increased to more than 1ha with an output of 1.5-2 tonnes of chili. Each
member of the cooperative group earns an income of 5 - 6 million VND (202-242
USD) per month on average.
After joining the group,
members have chance to participate in training programmes and receive support
in terms of funding and techniques to improve product quality and explore
stable markets. As a result, many women escape poverty and improve their lives.
Notably, the initiative of
cultivating wild chili with biological method won an award in the Women’s
Startup Competition organised by the Vietnam Women’s Union with a pool prize of
157 million VND. With this funding, the cooperative group continued to invest
in improving product quality and packaging, bringing the best products to
consumers.
With the support of the
district Women's Union, Phu Luong wild chili has registered a trademark with
barcodes, allowing consumers to search its traceability. As a result, it has
become popular in the market. In addition to cultivating and harvesting fresh
chili, cooperative group members also produce pickled chili peppers.
Previously, pickled chili peppers were stored in plastic bottles, which quickly
became moldy and couldn’t be preserved for long. Now, Phu Luong pickled chili
is packaged in glass jars, which doesn’t only meets food safety and can be
preserved for up to 24 months.
Bui Thi Ngoi, chairwoman of
the district Women’s Union, said that with its delicious flavour, Phu Luong
wild chili is being favoured by consumers. Currently, the product is not only
popular in Hoa Binh but also distributed in several provinces and cities such
as Hanoi and Hai Duong. Many Muong ethnic women in the area have earned stable
incomes and improved their quality of life thanks to this model.
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.