Variety is the spice of life
For many yearsnow, the farmers of Tra Vinh province have been growing rice in their fields. Outdated farming techniques and the lack of knowledge of other alternative crops means that these farmers face low yields and consequently diminishing incomes from their land holdings. While the IMPP project provides training and imparts tips on enhancing the yield, one of the goals of the project has also been to encourage diversification through higher-value crops. In this endeavor it has met with varying levels of success. However, one inspiring success story is that of Mrs. Truong Thi Lich, who managed to turn around the fortunes of her family by replacing rice with capsicum in her fields.
Tied to paddy
The 54-year-old Mrs. Truong Thi Lichlives with her family in My Chanh commune of Chau Thanh district in the Tra Vinh province. Rice is the popular crop in this region. Mrs. Lich and her family own about 5000m2 of land in her village. Like most others in the region, the Lich family uses the land to grow rice. However, since she was unaware of ideal planting techniques, seed selection and crop rotation, the yield from the land diminished over the years. The low productivity meant reduced income for the Lich family. The constraints imposed meant that Mrs. Lich struggled to provide adequately for her family.
IMPP to the rescue
Through the local women’s union, Mrs. Lich learnt about the IMPP project. Encouraged by the opportunity offered to ridherself and her family ofthe seemingly unending cycle of financial struggle, Mrs. Lichsigned up to become a member ofthe local women’s savings and credit group established under the aegis of the IMPP. In addition, she also enrolled in severaltraining sessions being conducted under the auspices of the project. One of the training courses conducted discussed crop variety and Mrs. Lich and her husband considered if it would be possible to grow something other than rice in their fields.
Path to success
Initially, Mrs. Lich and her husband were confused about which cropto choose as a replacement. IMPP then stepped in to provide some guidance. Following a consultationwith project staff, the couple decided to grow capsicum. However, they realized that they did not have enough money to go ahead with the idea. IMPP came to her rescue yet again. Mrs. Lich approached the women’s savings and credit group, set up with the help of IMPP, and was granted a loan of3 million VND. Setting aside 4000m2of her land to continue planting rice, Mrs. Lich decided to grow capsicum in the remaining 1000m2.
The transition was not easy. However, IMPP support did not end with training and facilitating of loans. Project staff helped Mrs. Lich purchase high-quality seeds at a reasonable price and she was ready to implement her idea. Unfortunately for her, however, her initial crops were damaged by disease. Once again, IMPP project staff turned up to help. Not only did they help her save her crop, but project staff and technical experts returned frequently to check on her plants andgive her technical guidanceon caring for the crops to ensure highyield.
The IMPP project staff also helped Mrs. Lich and her family set up a common interest group for seven other households that were contemplating taking up capsicum farming. Together, these families, guided by the IMPP, set about studying farming techniquesand learning about the plant to help each other in their endeavor. In addition, through IMPP andthe capsicum interest group, the families managed to sign a contract with a company in Ho Chi Minh City that agreed to purchase the produce from their farms. IMPP made numerous efforts to identifythe food export company and negotiated with ittoaccept the produce from these farms. Initially, the contract wassigned between the company and the local authority since the group did not have the legal authority to sign the contract, and the company did not trust the group of farmers (assuming that they might change their mind and sell the produce to other traders if offered a better price). However, the business relationship has now stabilized and is strong, so the latest contract has been signed between the company and the farmers’ group.
Results
The IMPP project trained Mrs. Lich on various techniques of capsicum farming. It also facilitated a loan to help her get started in this particular business. The revenue froma four month-harvest of capsicum was enough to repay the 3 million VND loanthat Mrs. Lich had taken. In fact, there was even money left over to furtherinvest in livestock framing. So, Mrs. Lich decided to raise chickens and ducks to diversify her family income.
After realizing the high productivity of the land being utilized for growing capsicum, Mrs. Lich plans to apply for another loan to convert all her land into capsicum fields, choosing to give up rice cultivation altogether. Although she is still only in the planning stages of this venture, Mrs. Lich has decided that if she is no longer eligible for a loan from the project (given that her family no longer qualifies as being poor), she willuse the profit gained from the next capsicum harvest to transfer her 4000m2of land,now dedicated to rice, to capsicum production.
Although Mrs. Lich had only been participating in the project for six months, the bold changes she made in her life worked so efficiently that her family managed to achieve a more stable and a much higher income. It is not only outmoded forms of agriculture that have been tossed out. Mrs. Lich’s involvement in the IMPP initiative has brought about changes on the home front as well. IMPP’s empowering strategies have caused a gender sensitization within Mrs. Lich’s family. Mrs. Lich’shusband has begun shouldering his share of the burden at home to help her concentrate on the various plans for her land that IMPP is helping her formulate and implement. Not only has the family income increased, but Mrs. Lich and her husband have achieved a harmonious balance in their lives with home and field chores divided reasonably among them. With the support from an understanding spouse and from IMPP, Mrs. Lich has big plans for a better future for her family.
Prior to completing the IMPP courses, her knowledge was limited to her experiences in farming and animal husbandry, and hence she felt shy about expressing her opinions both in the family and in the community.Mrs. Lich now feels more confident in decision-making as she is equipped with the knowledge and skills required to resolve all the issues.