Despite nearly 100% of households being poor or near-poor, with support from the government and persistent local efforts, the face of Tát Hẹ is changing day by day. The poverty rate has dropped below 50%, and living standards are steadily improving. This turning point stems from villagers boldly shifting their crop structures, focusing on plants suited to the mountainous climate and soil such as coffee and macadamia. Particularly, with access to capital, technical support, and production orientation programs, many households have expanded their cultivated areas and adopted new farming methods, yielding far higher economic returns than before.

A prime example is Vàng A Đa (born 1992), former Deputy Secretary of the Youth Union in the former Ẳng Nưa commune. After stepping down from his public position due to the local government restructuring into a two-level system, he dedicated himself to household economic development. A graduate in Crop Production from Điện Biên College of Economics and Technology, Vàng A Đa returned to his village in 2015 and borrowed VND 20 million from the Social Policy Bank to plant 3 hectares of coffee intercropped with macadamia.

The beginning was far from easy, low yields and frequent pests plagued his coffee crop. But instead of giving up, he actively sought out cultivation techniques. Thanks to his perseverance, his model gradually stabilized and thrived. He now owns 4 hectares of coffee and 2 hectares of macadamia, earning hundreds of millions of VND annually. He shared that those early years were extremely difficult, with slow-growing crops and many pests, which at times made him want to give up. But he believed that with hard work and willingness to learn, success would follow. Now, with healthy crops and a steady income, he feels even more confident that he chose the right path.

Similarly, Lầu A Thành’s family was once considered the poorest in the village. Years of hard labor barely lifted them above hunger. In 2016, he was selected by the village to receive a VND 50 million loan from the Social Policy Bank. Learning from neighbors who had dared to plant coffee, he invested the entire loan into planting over 1.5 hectares. The early years were tough, but the crops adapted well, and yields began to grow. Since 2019, the family’s economy has gradually stabilized thanks to the coffee garden. Not only have they escaped hunger, but they’ve also made real progress, by 2023, he and his wife had built a spacious wooden house.

The whole village of Tát Hẹ now has just 53 households, yet nearly 100 hectares are already planted with coffee, along with several dozen hectares of thriving macadamia. While macadamia is currently in peak harvest season, coffee will enter mass harvesting in about a month. As a long-time resident of Tát Hẹ, Party Cell Secretary Lý Giống Khá is pleased to see his village changing for the better. He recalled that the land used to be extremely poor, with many households suffering from food shortages during the lean season. But thanks to the people’s resilience and timely government support through poverty reduction programs, villagers took the initiative to develop production, restructure crops and livestock, and apply modern techniques to improve their economy.

Taking advantage of their abundant land, in addition to coffee and macadamia, many households have invested in livestock such as cattle and poultry. Initially, investments were small, but after realizing the economic benefits, especially from large livestock, many families began borrowing capital for larger-scale farming. Thanks to proper care and disease prevention, the village’s livestock has grown steadily, with no major outbreaks. Currently, the entire village has nearly 150 cattle, including large herds owned by families like Vàng Súa Sình, Vàng A Pó, and Hờ Chiến Thắng.

With material living conditions improving, Tát Hẹ residents are now devoting more attention to cultural and community life. Movements promoting cultural living, maintaining security and order, and environmental sanitation have been effectively implemented. Education has also seen clear improvements. Where school dropout rates were once high, now 100% of school-aged children attend school. Several students from the village have even passed university entrance exams, including some studying in professional institutions in Hà Nội, something once thought unimaginable.

Party Cell Secretary Lý Giống Khá remarked that the village is now very united. The hardship of one household is a concern for the whole community. Whenever a family needs help, others come together to support them, creating a strong sense of community that helps Tát Hẹ rise. Despite ongoing challenges, Tát Hẹ’s journey of overcoming hardship reflects a transformation in local mindset and actions. From a poor village, Tát Hẹ is now emerging as a bright spot in the economic development of Mường Ảng’s upland region.