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.

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