Macadamia trees open up new economic development directions for ethnic minority women in Thanh Hoa

By bringing new plant species to the locality to change the crop structure; participating in e-trading floors to change the business model; Ms. Pham Thi Thu (Thuong Ninh commune, Thanh Hoa province) has opened up a new direction for agricultural products, contributing to the socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

On the personal page of Ms. Pham Thu Thu (Thuong Ninh commune, Thanh Hoa province), viewers will always see her constantly updating activities from caring for, harvesting, and processing products from her family's macadamia nuts. Few people know that this lively, pretty, beautiful ethnic minority woman who sings well, dances well, and is good at selling online, has experienced many difficulties and hardships in life.

Transforming crop structure in mountainous areas

"I was born and raised in a poor mountainous district of Thanh Hoa province. I experienced days of hunger and lack of clothing, so I always cherished the determination to escape poverty to change my life," Ms. Pham Thi Thu recalled.

Through research and knowledge of the macadamia tree, a tree once known as the "queen of nuts" and highly effective, the couple boldly brought this tree back to their hometown to plant. Ms. Thu shared more: With high nutritional value, clear economic efficiency and sustainable development potential, macadamia has been identified by the Government as one of the 20 main forestry crops of the country since 2018.

Pham Thi Thu and her husband boldly introduced macadamia trees into the crop structure conversion, gradually increasing income and improving life.

In Cat Van commune, Nhu Xuan district (southwestern mountainous area of Thanh Hoa province, after merging with Thuong Ninh commune), people have boldly introduced macadamia trees into the crop structure conversion, gradually increasing income and improving life. With nearly 50 hectares of area covered with macadamia trees, of which about 15 hectares are being harvested, this crop is opening up a new and promising direction for the land with many difficulties. Not stopping at the household model, Nhu Xuan macadamia is also organized for production on a cooperative scale, typically Thanh Phat Macadamia Cooperative with Ms. Pham Thi Thu as Director.

Ms. Thu said: Since planting macadamia trees, through more than ten years with many ups and downs, the couple has taken care of their garden with all their heart. They do every job by themselves, from weeding, hoeing, watering and fertilizing... in anticipation of the first bunches of macadamia flowers and fruits. A lot of knowledge and experience have been drawn to make the products more and more perfect, with more beautiful designs and increasingly delicious, crispy and flavorful nuts. With their efforts and hard work, macadamia trees have become the main product of the Cooperative, contributing to changing the face of poor rural areas.

Reaching customers in the digital age

Not only stopping at selling in the traditional way, Ms. Thu also applies digital platforms and social networks such as Facebook, Zalo, Tiktok to promote and sell products. Ms. Thu said that she has participated in a training course on selling on e-commerce platforms and received support from the Department of Industry and Trade, and local Women's Unions to promote and introduce her products to many markets in and outside the province. In addition, she also processes macadamia into many other products such as: dipping sauce, nut milk, nutritious seed cake, macadamia nut oil, macadamia honey, etc.

Macadamia products

With her initiative and creativity, currently, from the online sales platform, she has expanded her customer base to many provinces and cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City... "Using digital platforms to sell products is a very effective product consumption channel, contributing to the development of the family economy", said Ms. Pham Thi Thu.

Support from production-consumption linkage in the chain in ethnic minority areas

Not only active in economic development, Ms. Thu is also enthusiastic about local emulation movements; guides women to participate in production and consumption of agricultural products; actively encourages women to develop the economy.

Ms. Thu shared that in the process of economic development of members and local women, the Women's Union has become an important bridge to help women confidently invest and transform production. Not only providing technical support, the Union also actively mobilizes preferential capital from policy credit programs, helping women access capital, supporting women members to apply and convert digital technology to develop production and business. Linking production and consumption in a chain not only helps farmers feel secure in their cultivation, but also creates conditions for local macadamia products to gradually affirm their position in the market.

Macadamia products are supported by the Association of Women's Unions at all levels of Thanh Hoa province to promote and introduce products to markets inside and outside the province.

From the first steps, macadamia trees are gradually becoming a "billion-dollar tree", a "tree that brings wealth" to people in Thanh Hoa, contributing to changing the face of poor rural areas. However, for macadamia to develop sustainably, it is necessary to have stronger participation from authorities at all levels in planning planting areas, providing technical guidance, supporting quality varieties and finding stable output for products.

For members, ethnic minority women like Ms. Pham Thi Thu, this is just the beginning. Although there are still many surprises, the support of authorities at all levels, the Industry and Trade sector, and Women's Unions at all levels will be the motivation for women to be bolder and more confident in the digital transformation process, effectively applying it in practice to develop the family economy, contributing to the socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

Now, macadamia trees in Thanh Hoa are not only economic crops, but also become a symbol of changing production thinking, expressing the aspiration to rise up and legitimately get rich of highland women.

Removing barriers for rural women and ethnic minority areas to sustainably reduce poverty

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/cay-mac-ca-mo-huong-phat-trien-kinh-te-moi-cho-phu-nu-vung-dan-toc-thieu-so-xu-thanh-20250805180525268.htm