His health was declining, and his experience in agricultural production was backward, so his family often went hungry during the lean season. Therefore, his family was a poor household, especially in difficult circumstances in the commune. A few years ago, with the help of Major Nguyen Van Bang, Deputy Political Commissar of Huong Phung Border Guard Station (Border Guard of Quang Tri Province), he was guided to convert to cultivating new short-term, high-yield rice and corn varieties. From 1 crop/year, his family switched to 2 crops/year, with a yield of 300kg/sao. Now, Mr. Bong's family's life is increasingly prosperous.

Major Nguyen Van Bang (middle) presented gifts and provided technical guidance on cultivating new rice varieties to Mr. Ho Bong's family in Cheng village, Huong Phung commune (Huong Hoa, Quang Tri).

In the warm atmosphere of early spring, Major Nguyen Van Bang said: In November 2022, I returned to work at Huong Phung Border Guard Station. At first, after each visit to the base, I saw that the people worked very hard but were still poor. After careful investigation, I learned that the people were cultivating native rice and corn varieties that were degraded, had long growth periods, were resistant to pests and diseases, had small grains, and had low yields. Faced with this situation, I advised the Party Committee, the Station Commander, and the local Party Committee and authorities to pilot the testing of new high-quality rice and corn varieties (rice varieties TBR97, TBR225; glutinous corn TBM18, glutinous corn A Sao) to study the conversion of crop varieties. When the model was effective, I advised and mobilized socialization to initially support 1,600 kg of rice seeds and 140 kg of corn seeds for the people to switch to new cultivation.

With the desire to help people build a prosperous life on the difficult border of the Fatherland, like a diligent bee, Major Nguyen Van Bang also contacted scientists and agricultural engineers to ask for help in testing high-yield crop and livestock varieties and is effectively piloting models: Growing organic coffee, raising African ostriches... He also advised the local Party Committee and authorities to effectively implement the movement of joining hands to build new rural areas associated with the Border Guard model to help people eliminate hunger and reduce poverty in Cheng village, But Viet village and the movement "Border Guards join hands for the poor - leaving no one behind"; advised the Party Committee and unit commander to actively contact sponsors and benefactors inside and outside the province to support the construction of 1 border shelter house, 22 water wells and 22 breeding cows for poor households... with a total value of nearly 350 million VND.

Comrade Ho Van Bien, Chief of Cheng Village - a village sponsored by Huong Phung Border Guard Station - confided: "Officer Bang and soldiers of Huong Phung Border Guard Station are the mainstay in the difficult times of the people of Cheng Village in particular and the locality in general. Thanks to their help, hunger and poverty have gradually been pushed back, and the people's lives have improved day by day."

Article and photos: NGOC GIANG

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