Cultivation and animal husbandry are the main livelihoods of farmers, particularly the poor single women in the two communes of Hai Ninh and Ninh Hai in the Tinh Gia district of Thanh Hoa province. However, most of these areas are occupied by sandy and saline soils that interfere with cultivation. As a result, farmers can not generate income and feed their families.
For years, famers in the two communes have tailored a habit of planting fruit trees—such as sugar-apple, mango and soursop—that are not suitable for the soil. These trees only become fruitful with the help of fertilizers and seeds.
An example of the farmers' gardens
In order to resolve the problem and support the women farmers, SRD launched the model “Planning the poor gardens” to replace the current fruit trees with pagoda trees. The model was inspired by the national strategy model that was successfully implemented in the Thai Binh and Nam Dinh provinces from 1990 to 2000.
Farmers are implementing activities to reform poor gardens
In July 2015, SRD sent a project officer to consult the communities of Hai Ninh and Ninh Hai on effective ways to redesign and enrich their gardens. Advice included what crops can be planted on the soil, the number of pagoda trees that should be planted, and how to invest in… The technical advice of SRD’s staff contributed greatly to the farmers’ understanding of tree planting, and, accordingly, they are willing to invest in the model application.
The initiative was within the scope of the “Towards a sustainable livelihood of poor single female-headed households by applying climate - smart agriculture approach in Tinh Gia district, Thanh Hoa province” project funded by Manos Unidas and implemented by SRD.
-SRD-
Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD)
No.31, Alley 19 Kim Dong Street, Hoang Mai District, Ha Noi
Phone: +84 24 3943 6676/78 | Fax: +84 24 3943 6449
