A corner of Lac Duong Town (Photo: baolamdong.vn)

Busy cutting roses to deliver to wholesalers in Ho Chi Minh City, Kra Jan Blim of Bon Dong 1 hamlet says growing roses has helped him pay for his children’s education and upgrade his farm.

Since switching to growing roses in greenhouses, Kra Jan Blim has netted nearly 13,000 USD a year. He said: “In the past, rice farming gave us barely enough to live on. Then we switched to growing coffee. Falling coffee prices forced us to switch to growing strawberries. But that wasn’t stable at all. Since we borrowed money from the State to grow roses, our income has become more stable and out life improved.”

Cil K’Pam of Da Ra Hoa hamlet also borrowed money from the State to grow straw mushrooms. She said that although her family has added three more houses to grow mushrooms, they can’t keep up with market demand. They earn more than 430 USD a month.

Cil K’Pam said: “Since getting involved in mushroom cultivation, my family’s finances have improved. Comparedng to working in a factory or growing coffee, growing mushrooms is easier and brings in more income. Our income has become more stable and we have regular work.”

Lac Duong, which used to mainly grow rice and coffee, now has 780 ha of high-tech agricultural land producing an average income of 9,700 USD per ha. Growing vegetables in greenhouses produces more than 34,000 USD per ha. Flower growing can produce as much as 43,000 USD.  

The Prime Minister recently approved a high-tech agricultural zone in Da Sar commune covering 220 ha with credit support and land lease exemptions to encourage investment in green agricultural production and local processing.

Le Quang Minh, Deputy Chairman of the Lac Duong People’s Committee, said local ethnic minority people have boosted their productivity, replaced outdated farming habits, and learned to grow industrial vegetables, flowers, and medicinal herbs. Today only 46 poor ethnic households remain in Lac Duong.

Minh said the district is stepping up agricultural technology transfer to improve local lives.

“The area’s climate is favorable for high-tech agricultural production. Although coffee trees remain the mainstay, we’ll give local people specific solutions to help them shift to high-tech agriculture to increase their incomes and stabilize the local economy,” said Minh.