After more than 12 years of planting and nurturing, the entire rubber plantation area of the Mường Nhé Rubber Joint Stock Company has begun to yield, providing stable employment for hundreds of local workers. These “white gold” trees have contributed to economic growth, instilling hope and the desire for change in the challenging borderlands.

Previously, the lives of people in the communes of Nậm Kè, Mường Toong, and Mường Nhé were closely tied to maize and rice fields, with work dependent on weather conditions and income being unstable. However, in the past decade, since rubber trees took root in the extreme West of the country, the lives of the people have significantly improved.

In the context of a strong push for rubber cultivation in the Northwestern region, the Mường Nhé Rubber Joint Stock Company was established in August 2013. After more than 12 years of construction and development, the company has now entered a stable harvesting phase, with more than 1,170 hectares of rubber now in production.

From the beginning of the year to September, the company’s latex output reached 499.6 tons. Since rubber trees began yielding, landowners who contributed land have received dividends, while hundreds of local workers, especially ethnic minorities, have secured stable jobs and income. The company currently employs nearly 250 staff, with 236 directly engaged in the work, most of whom are from the Mong, Thai, Hà Nhì and Khơ Mú ethnic groups living in the communes of Mường Nhé, Mường Toong, and Nậm Kè.

Before joining the Mường Nhé Rubber Joint Stock Company, Chang A Chánh from Mường Toong 1 (Mường Toong commune) lived a precarious life. He would work seasonally and be unemployed in between, facing a life of “feast and famine”. Since being hired by the company, his family’s life has gradually stabilized with an average monthly income of VND 10 million.

“Before, my family only hoped to have enough to eat year-round. But after being hired as a rubber tapper, I have a new job. Now, I receive regular wages every month, averaging about VND 10 million, and I can even renovate my house and provide for my children’s education”, Chánh happily shared.

Since joining the company, Vàng A Tặng from Mường Nhé commune now has a stable income of over VND 8 million a month. “Since joining the company, I’ve received professional training and thorough guidance. The work isn’t too hard, so I still have time to help my wife with farming and care for our young child”, Tặng shared.

To achieve these results, Mường Nhé Rubber Joint Stock Company has always considered the quality of its human resources as a key factor. Adhering to the principle of “guiding hand in hand”, the company has focused on training its workers. To date, the company has trained and created jobs for nearly 240 local workers, most of whom are from ethnic minority communities.

In addition to vocational training, the company ensures that workers have long-term job security, full access to benefits, social insurance, and performance-based bonuses. In recent years, alongside improving workers’ lives, the company has prioritized ensuring the rights of local people who contributed land for rubber cultivation.

According to statistics, the total area of land contributed for rubber cultivation in 2025 is 1,420.55 hectares, with a payout value of VND 4.014 billion, averaging VND 2.825 million per hectare. Payments are made transparently in cash at the communes of Mường Nhé, Mường Toong, and Nậm Kè, providing significant income for many households to reinvest in their economic development and improve their living standards.

Dao Văn Cương’s family in Nậm Kè commune was one of the first to contribute land for rubber planting. In the early years, Cương and other households were concerned because rubber trees take a long time to cultivate and yield. However, after receiving VND 56 million from the product dividend, Cương joyfully remarked: “When we planted rubber, many people were skeptical, but now we see income coming in, and everyone is excited. I believe rubber will bring stable income to our people.”

Beyond improving income, rubber cultivation has brought a noticeable change to the lives of people in the highlands. In many villages, more and more sturdy homes are being built, children are attending school more regularly, and many young people no longer have to leave their homeland to work far away. However, the path to development for “white gold” in the border region of Mường Nhé has not always been smooth.

Nguyễn Hữu Toàn, General Director of Mường Nhé Rubber Joint Stock Company, stated that at the beginning of 2025, the weather was very complex, with heavy rains and storms from April to August, causing landslides on many roads and making latex harvesting and transportation difficult. In response, the company took proactive steps to repair landslides, mobilized labor directly from the villages, and promptly understood the concerns and aspirations of the workers, providing material and spiritual support to keep workers engaged. The company’s labor union regularly works with local authorities to organize activities that support workers’ well-being, such as “union meals to thank workers”,  competitions, awards, and encouraging workers to overcome difficulties and work enthusiastically.

“We always view our workers as the center of sustainable development. Every drop of latex we harvest is not only a gift from nature but also the result of the hard work and sweat of the workers here”,  Toàn affirmed.

Looking back over the past 12 years, it is evident that the presence of rubber trees has opened up a new direction for the socio-economic development of the communes of Mường Nhé, Mường Toong, and Nậm Kè. From relying solely on farming, people now have stable jobs and guaranteed income, contributing to the region’s long-term poverty reduction efforts. The rubber trees have brought “white gold” and transformed the lives of hundreds of ethnic minority households in the extreme West of the country.