When farmers are at the center of the rural economy

Identifying farmers as both the driving force and the center of agricultural and rural economic development, fully leveraging their intellectual capacity to enhance the economic value of durian, one of the commune's key crops, as well as other crops and agricultural products, is a goal currently being pursued by the Party Committee, authorities, and people of Nam Cat Tien commune.

The challenge of agricultural economic development in Nam Cat Tien, a commune with strong agricultural potential, has been more clearly defined since the Resolution of the First Congress of the Commune Party Committee for the 2025–2030 term outlined three key development goals for the coming period. These initiatives include infrastructure development, tourism development in the buffer zone of Cat Tien National Park, and the development and restructuring of agriculture towards sustainability, with the core objective being a safe and environmentally friendly agricultural sector that improves local incomes.

Persistently searching for crops suitable for the soil

As one of more than 1,100 core members of the Nam Cat Tien Commune Farmers' Association, outstanding farmer Tran Van Nhuot (residing in Hamlet 11) currently has 7 hectares of Monthong durian. In his garden, the oldest trees are 25 years old, and the youngest are also around 10 years old. On average, the durian garden yields at least 20 tons of fruit per hectare annually.

Nam Cat Tien commune is "changing its skin" every day as farmers are increasingly empowered in their role as subjects of the rural economy in the socio-economic development of the locality. Photo: Dang Hung

According to Nhuot, achieving such results and remaining committed to durian for so many years required him and hundreds of other farmers to spend years and considerable resources experimenting with various crops, all in search of the most suitable and economically efficient option. Tran Van Nhuot, Tran Van Dien, Pham Van Nhanh, Vu Huu Loc, along with many other outstanding farmers in Nam Cat Tien commune, have been recognized by various levels and sectors for developing exemplary production and business models that generate annual incomes in the billions of dong.

For these billionaire farmers, they are nurturing and developing the dream of forming a chain for processing and deep processing of durian products, to meet market demand year-round, escape the fear of "bumper harvest - falling prices," and being pressured by traders during the main season.

Bui Ngoc Hai, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nam Cat Tien commune and Chairman of the Commune Farmers' Association, shared: "The commune has a very large durian growing area. This is a local advantage, helping to achieve breakthroughs in agriculture as set out in the Resolution of the First Congress of the Commune Party Committee, 2025-2030 term, aiming to build a safe, environmentally friendly agriculture and improve people's incomes. The association will promote the establishment of cooperatives, guide farmers in building growing area codes, and link production chains to ensure that Nam Cat Tien commune's durian products are strong enough to reach countries around the world."

When young people engage in agricultural economy

Also engaging in agriculture and growing durian, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, owner of Binh Yen (Peaceful) Farm, located in Nam Cat Tien commune, chose a different path for the agricultural economy.

Thuy introduced a wide variety of fruit trees, including durian, rambutan, mangosteen, mango, and guava, as well as numerous types of flowers, especially roses, while also cultivating vegetables and tubers year-round on a 2.5-hectare area. The farm's business model is oriented toward offering clean, agricultural products with minimal chemical use, as well as seasonal fruits, meditation, and healing retreats to attract visitors. Excluding land investment costs, the owner of Binh Yen Farm spent about 600 million VND on crops, building guesthouses, and landscape development. For the past three years, Thuy has earned over 2 billion VND annually. Outside of peak seasons, the farm provides stable employment for four local workers, each earning more than 10 million VND per month.

Thuy shared: “The fruits are clean and naturally grown. Tourists can enjoy whatever is in season when they visit. I'm not overly dependent on traders, so I don't worry about being pressured on prices. During peak harvests, if I can’t sell everything, I freeze the fruit and gradually use it to make cakes. I earn income from tourists who visit during the fruit season and also rent out space for meditation retreats. This gives me a steady year-round income. In addition, there are vegetables, tubers, and fruits grown in all seasons, which significantly increase my overall earnings.”

Sharing the same view on agricultural economic exploitation but leaning towards resort services and event organization, Orchard Home Resort, located near Cat Tien National Park, aims to be a bridge and a stopover for tourists, providing more opportunities to explore Cat Tien National Park. During peak seasons, this resort can accommodate and serve 300 people per day, creating jobs and income for dozens of local laborers during off-peak agricultural seasons, helping the locality better address social welfare issues.

Restructuring the agricultural sector and the role of farmers

To restructure the agricultural sector and promote the role of farmers in rural economic development, the Party Committee, authorities, and people of Nam Cat Tien commune have identified 3 pillars and 4 breakthroughs.

Vice Chairman of the Nam Cat Tien Commune People's Committee, To Tran Thanh Hai, said: "The locality has identified the pillars: the pillar of raising awareness among farmers and people about plants and animal breeds; accompanying farmers through cooperatives, credit funds, loan funds, and plant varieties. An equally important pillar is the implementation of infrastructure investment and development of planned areas, focusing on building specific agricultural planned areas that leverage the local advantages in plant varieties such as pomelo or durian."

Following the merger of the former Phu An and Nam Cat Tien communes, the newly formed Nam Cat Tien commune now encompasses a total natural area of 82.27 square kilometers, comprising 3,489 hectares of land dedicated to perennial crops and 782.5 hectares for annual crops. Most of the agricultural land is used for fruit trees and industrial crops. Within the crop structure, Nam Cat Tien has over 3,000 hectares dedicated to durian cultivation. This plant has become the "billionaire" crop for farmers in Nam Cat Tien in particular, and for those across the Southern region more broadly.

The Resolution of the First Congress of the Nam Cat Tien Commune Party Committee outlined the following directions: Develop high-tech, sustainable agro-forestry practices adapted to climate change, based on green and circular economic models, to increase the value of commodity products. Effectively apply science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. Mobilize maximum resources to invest in rural infrastructure and develop a comprehensive rural transportation system that meets the demands for transportation and connectivity. Alongside effective planning implementation, prioritize tourism and service development as a key economic sector, with a focus on fully leveraging local potential and advantages. This endeavor includes attracting investment in the development of ecological, spiritual, resort, and entertainment tourism that reflects the distinctive identity of Nam Cat Tien.

These breakthroughs cannot be separated from the farmers, who are the subjects and the center of agricultural and rural economic development. These are the guiding principles that the Party Committee, authorities, and people of Nam Cat Tien are committed to implementing successfully.

By Pham Quang – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho