(HBO) – Sao Bay commune (Kim Boi district) of Hoa Binh province has been widely known for local farmers’ dynamism in crop restructuring. Coming to the commune any time of the year, visitors could see the green colour of various vegetables and food crops.
The commune’s proactive switch to plants generating high economic income has improved the livelihood of local people towards sustainable poverty reduction.
Residents in Dam Gian village, Sao Bay commune (Kim Boi
district) grow wax gourd which brings in high economic value.
The commune relies
completely in farming. Earlier, local people lived on the cultivation of rice,
maize, potato and cassava. Farm
productivity heavily depended on weather, resulting in unstable output.
After learning of big consumers’ demand for tuber and fruit vegetables,
the Party committee and People’s Committee of the commune guided local people
to cultivate new plants with high economic values.
Since 2012, local farmers have grown various types of vegetables such as
wax gourd, cucumber or melon, raking in higher income compared to maize and
rice. Currently, pumpkin, wax gourd, melons and cucumber has become key crops of
local residents. Those crops have generated good earnings for many households
in communes of Dam Gian, Sao Bac, Doi Boi and Sao Dong.
We travelled to Sao Bay at the time local people were growing the 2018
winter crop. Accompanied by Bui Huy Ban, the commune’s agricultural official,
we visited a model farm where wax gourd is grown using trellis, with its roots
being covered by polyethylene membranes to keep moisture in soil, while preventing
weeds. The 3-ha model farm in Dam Gian village is owned by three families of
Bui Van Huy, Bui Van Luc and Bui Van Nguyen.
The farm has created permanent jobs for four labourers and temporary
jobs for 20-30 others. In 2018, the average output of gourd at the farm hit
about 70 tonnes per ha, with selling price in the spring crop at 3,000 VND per kg.
According to Bui Van Luc, his family grew pumpkin and wax gourd on 6,000
sq.m., raking in 300 million VND (12,815 USD) a year. Meanwhile, Bui Van Huy’s
family earned 350,000 million VND (14,950 USD) a year from wax gourd.
At present, people in Sao Bay are growing winter crops such as wax
gourd, cucumber, kohlrabi, cabbage, cauliflower and potato. Locals have already
harvested the first crop of wax gourd and are planting the second. Other crops
are growing well, giving hope to local people about a bumpy crop generating high
income./.
Hoa Binh province’s economy posted an impressive Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) growth rate of 12.67% in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 12.76% year-on-year increase, the highest rate recorded since the beginning of the current tenure, according to the provincial Statistics Office. This robust growth reflects years of strategic groundwork and sets a strong foundation for the province’s annual growth target of over 10%.
With a focus on cash crop farming with science - technology application and brand building, Lac Thuy district is gradually increasing production value, improving people's life quality, and laying the foundation for sustainable socio-economic development.
In recent years, the economic development model "Hoa Binh Earthworm Farm” run by Mr. Bui Van Dang in Co Giua Hamlet, My Thanh Commune (Lac Son district) has not only brought stable economic value but it is also environmentally friendly, helping to protect and reduce pollution, contributing to the construction of a green and sustainable agriculture.
Dao Village’s honey – a product certified with a 3-star OCOP (One Commune One Product) rating by Thong Nhat Agricultural Cooperative in Dao Village (Hoa Binh City) – is highly regarded by consumers for its quality, richness, and variety in packaging. The distinctively sweet taste of Dao Village’s honey leaves a lasting impression on anyone who has tried it.
In alignment with Project No. 07-DA/TU, issued by the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee on November 1, 2021, Lac Thuy district has actively promoted investment and supported the sustainable development of its industrial and handicraft sectors during the 2021–2025 period. Alongside this, the district has remained committed to preserving and revitalising traditional craft villages.
Located in the northern part of Lac Thuy district, with a temperate climate and fertile soil, Phu Thanh commune has great potential and advantages in growing tea. The long-standing experience, combined with strict adherence to organic farming practices in the tea gardens, ensures that the dried tea products from Phu Thanh and Lac Thuy as a whole are sold out immediately upon production, providing a stable and prosperous life for the local people.
