Bac Yen: Promoting potential and advantages for economic development

Bac Yen is a mountainous and disadvantaged district of Son La province. The district has 7 ethnic groups living together, mainly ethnic minorities, with a population of more than 70,000 people, of which: nearly 96% of the population are ethnic minorities, Kinh people account for more than 4%. The poverty rate in the district in the period of 2022-2025 is 33.17%. In the past time, Bac Yen district has mobilized all resources, focused on directing the implementation of programs and projects, etc. Thereby, contributing to gradually changing the face of the countryside, creating motivation to help people create livelihoods, improve their material and spiritual lives and escape poverty sustainably.

Bac Yen district, Son La province regularly coordinates with units to conduct training, share experiences, and help people improve their knowledge in production. Photo: Nguyen Vinh

Promoting potential and advantages, Bac Yen district has focused on implementing programs and projects to promote production and business development. In order to change awareness and production practices from traditional to applying science and technology, the district has promoted information and propaganda work to local people. In addition, the district has promoted restructuring of the agricultural sector in association with converting the structure of crops and livestock. These efforts not only increase income but also create a foundation for ethnic minority people to innovate their thinking, towards sustainable development, hunger eradication, poverty reduction, and improvement of life.

Thanks to that, the rural appearance of ethnic minority areas in Bac Yen district has changed a lot. Up to now, 87.5% of communes have asphalted or concreted roads to the commune center; 67.68% of villages have roads from the commune center to the village center that are hardened; 73.1% of communes have solidly built schools and classrooms; 86.93% of households have safe electricity; 100% of rural population has access to clean water; 96.1% of ethnic minority population participates in health insurance; on average, the number of poor households decreases by 4% each year, by the end of 2024, the poverty rate in the district will decrease to 24.75%.

From a poor household, now the life of Mrs. Vi Thi Chang's family, Chen village, Muong Khoa commune, Bac Yen district, Son La province has become more prosperous. Mrs. Chang shared: "A few years ago, my family was a poor household in the village. My family's main income depends on corn and cassava, due to many years of cultivation, poor soil and weather, some years are profitable, some years are not, we have to struggle for each meal. Thanks to the Party and State's support in lending capital to develop production and livestock, my family has a more stable income, no longer in poverty like before".

Ms. Vi Thi Chang, Chen village, Muong Khoa commune, Bac Yen district, Son La province has a stable income from ethnic policies. Photo: Van Ngoc

Ms. Chang added: "In 2018, my family had a little capital, along with the loan from the district's CSXH bank, my family invested in building a barn and buying 8 breeding cows. Thanks to good care, my family's herd of cows grew and developed well. From the initial 8 mother cows, each year they gave birth to 6-7 calves. After 6 months of care, my family sold them to people in the village and commune to use as breeding cows. Each year, my family earned more than 70 million VND from selling calves."

Bac Yen: Solutions to improve the lives of ethnic minorities

Talking to reporters of NTNN/Dan Viet/Trang Trai Viet electronic newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Dang Thuc, Head of the Ethnic Affairs Department of Bac Yen district (Son La), said: "Implementing the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas, Bac Yen district has implemented programs and projects... With the goal of narrowing the development gap between ethnic minority areas and other areas in the district. The effective implementation of programs and projects... has helped improve and enhance the material and spiritual life of ethnic minority people, contributing positively to sustainable hunger eradication and poverty reduction".

Bac Yen district, Son La province promotes primary health care for ethnic minorities in the district. Photo: Van Ngoc

In the evening, implementing the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2025 period. Bac Yen District focuses on implementing solutions such as: Increasing the mobilization of investment resources, effectively using investment capital sources; continuing to invest in infrastructure construction; continuing to review and consider supporting crop and livestock varieties for poor and near-poor households in the district...

Promote the development of agricultural economy towards commodity production, shift the production structure associated with promoting local advantages and consumption markets. Convert traditional production methods to develop commodity agricultural production towards high-tech application. Apply agricultural production practices (VietGAP) to improve productivity, quality, value and increase competitiveness of agricultural products. Raise large livestock in a concentrated manner, ensuring disease safety and environmental sanitation. Improve the effectiveness of veterinary work, proactively prevent diseases. Restructure the crop production sector towards increasing added value and sustainable development.

Thanks to growing tea and actively learning tea drying experience, the life of Mr. Mua A Lu's family in Ta Xua commune, Bac Yen district, Son La province has become more prosperous. Photo: Nguyen Vinh

Strengthening the management, protection and development of forest capital, developing protective forests, special-use forests and production forests. Focusing on investment in developing forestry economy, especially forestry trees with advantages, high economic value, potential, multi-purpose trees, developing agroforestry, and planting fruit trees.

Focus on implementing national target programs on building new rural areas; effectively implement sustainable poverty reduction, improve the material and spiritual life of the people; focus on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas associated with building a strong grassroots political system; ensure national defense and security in the district. Create equal opportunities for all people to access development resources and enjoy basic services, social welfare, diversify resources.

Bac Yen district, Son La province carries out propaganda work to ensure national defense and security in the district. Photo: Van Ngoc

Bac Yen district, Son La province is gradually affirming the right direction in promoting potential and advantages to improve the lives of ethnic minorities. Through support policies, restructuring the agricultural sector, converting appropriate crop and livestock structures and focusing on changing awareness in production, Bac Yen has been creating positive changes, contributing to building a prosperous and sustainable life for the people. This is not only the result of the efforts of the government and people but also a testament to the solidarity of the 7 ethnic groups in this mountainous land.

Nguyen Vinh