Restoring faith in farming: Positive changes in Krong Klang Town

In the past, there was a time when some residents of Krong Klang Town, Dakrong District, lost faith in farming. However, with the involvement of local farmers' associations, trust was restored among the people, accompanied by positive changes.

In Krong Klang Town, the rubber plantation of Mr. Ho Xa Ton’s family in Lang Cat Hamlet is a dream for many people. The 3-hectare garden has provided his family with a monthly income of over VND10 million.

Thanks to the rubber trees, the life of Mr. Ho Xa Ton’s family in Krong Klang Town has become more prosperous and happy. Photo: T.L

According to Mr. Xa Ton, if it hadn’t been for the local officials' efforts to encourage and guide him in switching to new crops, his family would not have been able to achieve the success they enjoy today. Thanks to the local officials, Mr. Ton persisted in keeping his rubber plantation while many others had cut down their rubber trees.

"It took me about 10 years to achieve the success I have today. During that time, I can’t remember how many times I lost confidence because I saw others switching to growing other crops. I am grateful to the agricultural union officials who kept me motivated and gave me the confidence to continue," Mr. Ton said with sincerity.

Not far from Mr. Ton’s house, Mr. Ho Uoc’s family has also overcome hardship, thanks to the support of the agricultural union and relevant local agencies. In the past, Mr. Uoc’s family lived off their small plots of land. Despite being hardworking and having both garden and hill land for economic development, their business was not very successful, which led to frustration and gradually lost confidence in farming.

At just the right moment, the timely help from the agricultural union officials brought about a change for Mr. Uoc’s family. Not only did he have the opportunity to attend training sessions and learn about new agricultural techniques, but he also received financial support, seeds, and livestock to establish a diversified farm.

In 2021, encouraged by the agricultural union officials from Dakrong District and Krong Klang Town, Mr. Uoc joined a professional group focused on livestock farming and fruit cultivation. From there, he gained more opportunities. "What I have been through has made me even more confident that I can overcome difficulties through farming. My family no longer worries about today’s meal while wondering about tomorrow’s," Mr. Uoc said.

The changes in the lives and work of Mr. Uoc and Mr. Ton are vivid examples of the support provided by the agricultural unions to the people in the mountainous Dakrong District. Recently, the Dakrong District Farmers' Union has implemented various solutions to help members overcome difficulties and reduce poverty sustainably. The Union has become a bridge, leading funds to help the people build new economic models. Regular activities include training sessions, transferring scientific and technical advances, distributing plants and livestock, and providing gifts and visits. The leadership of the Dakrong District Farmers' Union actively guides local branches to collaborate with local authorities to implement policies that support poor households with land for housing, production, vocational training, and drinking water supply.

Across the villages and towns in Dakrong District, many effective initiatives have been carried out by the local agricultural unions to help farmers escape poverty. Among these, the Krong Klang Town Farmers' Union is considered a model, consistently providing timely and effective support to its members.

According to Le Thi Ly, the Chairwoman of the Krong Klang Farmers' Union, helping the farmers overcome difficulties has long been the union’s goal and mission. Understanding that people rely mostly on farming for their livelihoods, she emphasized that without proper guidance and support, it would be hard for them to thrive. Therefore, the union staff always actively accompanies and supports farmers. Depending on the specific conditions and circumstances of each member, the union provides different types of assistance. What remains consistent, however, is the priority placed on inspiring and renewing members' confidence.

"Our belief is that for success, the first step is for members to believe in themselves and the work they are doing. Therefore, the staff of the Krong Klang Farmers' Union always puts great effort into propaganda and mobilization. It is this confidence that has given many members the motivation to persist and successfully build economic models," said Ly.

Thanks to the belief and support from the agricultural unions, many members in Krong Klang Town have seen positive changes in their livelihoods. No longer farming with an uncertain outlook, many have become proficient in technology, learning to select the right crops and livestock. Several households have boldly borrowed capital and successfully established large-scale economic models.

More and more people are joining vocational groups to help each other develop their economy. As a result, the challenges faced by the farming profession are becoming more manageable. The number of members in Krong Klang Town who have risen out of poverty and achieved stable lives is steadily increasing.

Nguyen Van Chien, a resident of Krong Klang Town, shared: "Having overcome hardships through farming, my wife and I, like many other union members, have a deeper awareness of helping others. We hope to contribute to transforming Krong Klang."

According to Ho Xuan Ninh, Deputy Chairman of the Krong Klang Town People’s Committee, the number of farmers in the area who are improving their livelihoods through cultivation and livestock farming is growing every day. In response to this encouraging trend, the town’s leadership has instructed the agricultural union staff to actively support the people in expanding and developing effective economic models.

"We hope that the relevant authorities will continue to pay attention and support the people. What the people and officials in Krong Klang Town most desire is to have access to favorable loans for economic development and receive training in advanced scientific techniques," Ninh shared.

In the coming period, the agricultural sector of Quang Tri has identified digital transformation as a key priority. Alongside continuing efforts to encourage local people and businesses to adopt technology in agricultural, forestry, and aquaculture production, the sector will focus on implementing traceability systems linked to planting area codes and packaging facility codes, ensuring compliance with requirements for domestic and export markets.

The agriculture sector will also continue to develop and refine production cooperation models, focusing on closed-loop or value chain-based linkages, with strong involvement from the “four houses” (government, businesses, farmers, and scientists). New technologies, such as sensor technology, nanotechnology in precision agriculture, and drone technology for monitoring and production, will be applied. Emphasis will be placed on improving infrastructure and developing a shared agricultural database. Additionally, the sector will focus on standardizing and automating production and business processes, as well as automating and mechanizing production, management, monitoring, and product supply chains, aiming toward a fully integrated mechanized agricultural system. At the same time, efforts will be made to enhance the skills of the agricultural workforce and provide digital training for farmers, helping them apply digital skills in production, supply, distribution, forecasting, and e-commerce in agriculture.

After encouraging localities and residents to accelerate the development of agriculture with high-tech methods, many agricultural products from Quang Tri have now entered both domestic and international markets, reaching discerning customer segments. This has contributed significantly to a breakthrough in the province’s socio-economic development. The digital transformation in agriculture has been driving a shift in the production mindset of farmers, moving towards a modern, intelligent, and sustainable agricultural system.

In crop production, for example, the province now boasts over 30 greenhouses and net houses covering approximately 3 hectares, applying high-tech methods. More than 5,000 hectares of crops are using water-saving irrigation technologies. Drones have been deployed for tasks such as spraying herbicides, fertilizers, and pest control on crops like rice, cassava, and rubber, covering more than 5,500 hectares. Over 1,360 hectares are dedicated to organic farming, natural cultivation, and food safety practices, including VietGAP standards. Currently, 19 facilities in the province have adopted quality management systems based on HACCP and ISO standards in the processing of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products. Additionally, 115 OCOP (One Commune One Product) products are supported with OCOP labels, linked to traceability systems and are being marketed on e-commerce platforms. Notably, 27 planting area codes have been granted for export and domestic distribution, covering over 2,237 hectares in various regions

Tay Long - Ngoc Mai