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.
After more than four years of implementing a project launched by the Hoa Binh Party Committee’s Standing Board on developing agriculture and promoting product consumption linked with building new-style rural areas for the 2021-2025 period, the province’s industry and trade sector has made significant strides, greatly contributing to local socio-economic development.
Luong Son district has identified 2025 as the year for the accelerated breakthrough to successfully implement the socio-economic development plan for the 5-year period from 2021 to 2025. The district has been focusing on executing the plans and trying to achieve a GRDP growth rate of approximately 15%.
Since the beginning of this year, under the direction of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the Sub-Department of Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishery Product Quality Management has strengthened the integration of the professional activities to promote and guide the organizations and individuals in the production and trading of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products to comply with the legal regulations regarding the use of chemicals, pesticides and veterinary medicines in crop cultivation, livestock farming and aquaculture. They also provide guidance to processing and manufacturing establishments on keeping the records to trace the product origins and using food additives from the approved list according to the regulations.
Hoa Binh province saw a significant rise in state budget revenue in the first two months of 2025, heard a meeting chaired by Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Quach Tat Liem.
Ha Thi Ha Chi, a 26-year-old graduate in law, has taken an unconventional path by returning to her hometown in Mai Chau district to establish the Tong Dau Cooperative, creating stable jobs for local women and bringing Thai ethnic brocade weaving to the global market.
As the Lunar New Year 2025 approached, pork prices surged, creating a profitable season for farmers in Tan Vinh commune, Luong Son district. Taking advantage of the rising demand, Can Minh Son, a farmer from Coi hamlet, sold over 30 pigs at 69,000 VND/kg, each weighing more than 100 kg. After deducting expenses, his family earned a profit of over 50 million VND.