Page 83 - Agricultural innovation

Up to now, Lac village has more than 76 households registered to provide tourism services to
welcome guests to sleep, rest, eat, brocade weaving and handicrafts of their ethnic cultural identity. As
a result, it has contributed to attracting tourists to the increasingly crowded Lac village, creating jobs
and increasing incomes for residents. In order to improve the effectiveness of community tourism,
in July 2021, Chieng Chau Commune Farmers’ Association established the Farmers’ Professional
Association “Farmers and Homestay” in Lac village, with 18 members participating. There are 9 female
members and 3 members with university degrees among them.
Chieng Chau Commune Farmers’ Union has propagated to raise awareness for members about the
purpose, meaning, role and benefits of establishing the Association of Farmer’s Professional Association
for development of agriculture, wealthy farmers and civilized countryside. This professional association
has been built on the principle of “5 self” including self-discipline, voluntariness, self-control, self-
management, self-responsibility and “5 together” with the same direction in the field of production,
business, and the same relationship.
The establishment of the Association of Professional Farmers “Farmers and Homestay” in Lac
village has promoted the available potential, creating a close connection between farmer members
who have the same passion for community tourism business, contributing to building Chieng Chau
commune into a model new rural commune. Since the establishment of this Association of Professional
Farmers, it has helped its members link together to develop service businesses and experience services
of Thai ethnic identity in Mai Chau district, contributing to innovation, mobilizing all resources to
build a typical professional association, promoting tourism for sustainable development.

Figure 21. Homestay service in Hoa Binh province
Source: VnExpress

After more than a year of operation, the Association of Professional Farmers in Lac village has been
trained in the field of tourism business; support and guide member households to invest in completing
items, such as flowers along the entrance gate of village; outdoor stage at the member’s yard. In addition,
the Association also actively promotes and introduces images of traditional costumes, cuisine, car
rental services, photography, etc. on social networking sites. As a result, it has contributed to attracting
more tourists. Currently, the average monthly income of members is from six to 10 million VND.
The locality has restored and maintained the festival “Xen Muong” of the Thai ethnic people;
building a display area for ethnic arts and antiquities, etc. Mai Chau district also pays attention to
training and improving the quality of human resources to meet the needs of tourists. Every year, people
in the village participate in training courses, fostering skills in tourism; The road to the village was
widened and concreted. The parking area is widely planned and built and garbage is collected daily.

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