(HBO) – The Thung Rech area in Tu Son commune of Kim Boi district has seven hamlets, five of which are home to people who moved here to give land to the construction of the Da River reservoir in the 1990s. When they began settling down here, population in the area was scattered. They have built houses and farmed crops, turning this desolate land into fertile and vast sugar cane and maize fields.




Quach Cong Tien, a resident in Kim Bac 2 (left), attends to Canh orange trees in his orchard that covers more than 3ha of land.

It is difficult to list all difficulties and hardships local residents have faced as well as their efforts to transform the whole Thung Rech area into a luxuriant and fertile land. People have shifted from farming the traditional crops of sugar cane and maize to cultivating citrus trees. Many families have planted orange, tangerine, grapefruit and longan trees, thus improving economic benefits and income. With their new ways of thinking, some pioneers have developed new farming models, helping to give a facelift to the local economy.

Ly Thi Kim, a resident in Kim Bac 4 hamlet, has three orange gardens with more than 1,000 trees planted three years ago. She is also farming maize, harvesting about 20 – 30 tonnes of corn each crop.

Meanwhile, the family of Quach Cong Tien in Kim Bac 2 hamlet, a member of the Muong Dong Cooperative, has invested in a farm covering more than 3ha of land to cultivate citrus trees. Tien said economic benefits from sugar cane and maize farming is decreasing. If 100kg of maize seeds could generate 200 million VND in the past, the revenue has fallen down to around 50 million VND at present. The sale of sugar cane is also no longer stable like it was in the past when sugar cane was sold to sugar factories. Therefore, his family decided to invest in fruit tree cultivation. His entire farm is now under Canh orange and Tan Lac red grapefruit trees which have borne fruit. Since settling down here, the life of local people has become stable with positive changes.

In spite of natural advantages such as favourable climate and fertile soil, residents in the Thung Rech area still face numerous difficulties. While the main road linking hamlets has been concreted, most of other roads traversing hamlets and fields are made of earth and being degraded, affecting travel and transport of farm produce. A water supply system built in the area has also broken down, forcing locals to use water from wells and springs for daily and farming activities. Due to the low per capita income of about 10 – 13 million VND per year, the number of poor households remains high such as 27 of the 41 households in Kim Bac 2 hamlet, or 16 of the 31 households in Kim Bac 4 hamlet. The life has been stable, but how to have sustainably productive livelihoods is still a concern for local residents.

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