Mr. Binh (left) passionately shares the process of taking care of plants.

According to Mr. Tran Dang Quang, Vice Chairman of Binh Dien Commune People's Committee, Mr. Le Duc Binh is one of the typical examples in the local labor production movement. Not only is he dedicated and responsible for the common work, he is also a good farmer, diligent, creative, always looking for new directions in economic development, a bright spot for people in the village to learn from.

Visiting Mr. Binh's hill garden at noon; on an area of over 1 hectare behind the hill, Mr. Binh is busy taking care of the fruit garden including green-skinned grapefruit, guava, pineapple, durian... Pointing to the vast acacia forest in the distance, Mr. Binh proudly said: "That is my family's acacia forest, 17 hectares wide. Before, it was all wild reeds, few people thought about planting forests to get rich. I love land and trees, so I just do it, not afraid of failure."

At the age of 60, the man from Phong Dien has been attached to the highland of Binh Dien for more than 35 years. In 1988, he began his journey of reclaiming land, bringing each acacia seed from his hometown to plant on the barren hillsides. At that time, when acacia trees were only planted along the sea to block waves and prevent landslides, no one thought of planting forests for economic purposes. Seeing him diligently planting the first 5 sao of acacia, many people sighed and said he was "crazy". Yet it was that crop of acacia that brought him his first motorbike, opening up a promising direction for forest economy.

From the initial 5 sao of acacia, he expanded it to 5ha, then 10ha. Now his acacia forest has covered 17ha of hilly land. At one point, he bought his own tractor and truck to actively exploit wood, saving costs...

Mr. Binh devoted himself to planting 2 more hectares of rubber. There was a time when fierce storms knocked down many rubber plantations, combined with low rubber prices, causing Binh Dien people to lose interest in this tree. However, Mr. Binh believed in the market's recovery, so he persistently encouraged people to replant. Thanks to that, Thuan Loc village has so far maintained nearly 30 hectares of rubber, which has become an important livelihood, contributing to improving the economic life of many households.

Mr. Binh actively researched, learned, participated in training courses, and then applied the knowledge he learned to his family's production model. He traveled all over the South and North regions to see how people from other regions farmed to learn. From those trips, he realized that the terrain and climate in the Binh Dien mountainous area were suitable for durian trees. He boldly planted 100 trees in his hill garden. Now, after 7 years of care, the durian trees have begun to bear fruit, promising a bumper crop.

Mr. Binh's forest garden has created regular jobs for 2-3 workers, sometimes up to 10-15 people at peak times. In addition to being a good producer, Mr. Binh is also an exemplary Party cell secretary and village chief. He is also the one who "solves" the complicated land disputes in the village. In every case, he patiently learns, listens, analyzes right and wrong, applying both emotion and reason so that people can understand and reach consensus.

There were households that donated land to build roads and then planted trees to encroach on them. Mr. Binh did not hesitate, patiently knocked on each house's door, and encouraged people to voluntarily cut down the trees, returning the roads to the community.

Saying goodbye to Mr. Binh, I always remember his words: When people know how to love the land, love the trees, and attach themselves to their homeland with all their heart, then anywhere can bloom and bear sweet fruit...\

Article and photos: Ha Le

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/yeu-dat-me-cay-156328.html