The central area of Đơn Dương District in Lâm Đồng Province. — Photo nhandan.vn

LÂM ĐỒNG — The legendary Đa Nhim River originates from the Lang Biang plateau. Every day the alluvium from upstream enriches the famous Đơn Dương lands for growing vegetables.

On the potato fields in the Kambutte Village, there is a lively atmosphere of the harvest season underway, with the sound of machinery keeping a beat with the crisp, bustling laughter of local farmers.

They have reason to be happy.

K’Bril, Head of the Kambutte Village in Tu Tra Commune, Đơn Dương District, Lâm Đồng Central Highlands province, said: “The village as well as the district do not have any poor households any more. People’s lives are now much better, houses are spacious, children are educated properly, agricultural production has smart controls. Many households have cars and tractors and asphalt and concrete roads reach the rice fields, with no more fallow land.”

It is quite the transformation for the village of Kambutte and its 192 households, with more than 1,280 people.

Now locals focus on production, developing their family economies and educating their children.

"Kambutte Village has no more poor households, that is a miracle,” said K’Bril.

"If anyone had come to the village about ten or fifteen years ago, they would have seen the hardships and struggles. People mainly grew rice and coffee, with little output. Farming depended on the weather, and the countryside looked sad."

However nutrients in the water from the Đa Nhim River alone cannot make the livelihoods here green.

Development

“In the past, there was a lot of fallow land. Since the new rural development programme was launched, people have been educated, officials have provided guidance on farming techniques. The Government has helped us with plants and breeds. Villagers changed their thinking and developed production. Machines have gradually replaced human labour, agricultural output has been connected, and life has changed every day,” K’Bril said.

K'Bril's family is a typical example. Over more than 4.2ha of arable land, on which they used to predominantly grow rice and coffee, they have switched to growing crops in rotation with higher efficiency.

In Tu Tra Commune, the campaign to eradicate poverty started not simply from policies, resolutions, or applied models, but deeply ingrained in the thinking of the people. Dependence has given way to innovative thinking and new ways of doing business.

Deputy Chairwoman of the commune, Lê Thị Hồng Nhung, said that 60 per cent of population in Tu Tra Commune were from ethnic groups.

It used to be a poor place, but now it is a model new rural commune, with an average income per capita of VNĐ79 million (US$3,000).

Specialty

Đạ Ròn Commune has more than 2,000 households, home to about 9,800 people and ethnic groups account for more than 43 per cent of the population.

The commune's new model has led to an average income per capita of more than VNĐ75 million ($2,900) per year.

Along with high-tech agricultural production, Đạ Ròn is a famous dairy farming land of Lâm Đồng Province.

Deputy Chairman of the Đạ Ròn Commune People's Committee Đinh Ngọc Anh said: "The commune has implemented appropriate economic restructuring and is supported by the people."

Standing on a high hill on the National Highway 27, people can see green vegetable gardens, tomato gardens in full bloom and glass roofs undulating like waves.

All the alluvium in the fertile Đa Nhim River has been dedicated entirely to Đơn Dương District.

In this land, vegetables are a specialty, feeding the residents for decades. With the move to diversify and apply high tech to that farming, Đơn Dương 111,000 residents, of whom 31 per cent are from ethnic groups, hope that their flowers, fruit trees and dairy production, will bring greater prosperity to them all.

Along the fragrant Đa Nhim River with alluvial deposits, farmers in the district confidently bring their agricultural products to regional and international markets.

Perhaps that is why Phan Thanh Nhân, an information technology engineer working for a company in HCM City who was earning a good income, decided to return to his hometown and start a business.

He built the Avocado Farm brand, the first agricultural tourism destination in the Đơn Dương the land of vegetables and fruits.

“I want to promote my homeland’s potential and strengths, at the same time, connect new business methods with local people,” he said.

On a tour of the farm, visitors will be able to explore and experience the garden, pick fruit and vegetables, take care of crops and livestock, prepare typical dishes from the freshly-picked ingredients and learn about local land, people and community culture.

The land’s attractiveness has created a production link between businesses and local farmers, connecting raw material areas and creating jobs for thousands of workers.

Đơn Dương District has a total area of ​​over 611sq.m. It is the eastern gateway, the dynamic economic development area of ​​Lâm Đồng Province, meeting the needs of modern urban development. It became the first new rural district in the Central Highlands in 2015. — VNS