(VOVworld) –Women’s unions in Phong Dien district, Can Tho province, have been role models in mass mobilization, encouraging women to develop their economy to improve their lives. They have contributed significantly to the new rural development program.

Members of the women’s union of Truong Hoa hamlet meet every month at union president Nguyen Thi Hue’s house to discuss plans of action and share their experience in developing a household economy. The agenda of recent meetings included techniques for growing and taking care of seedless lemon trees. Households in the hamlet grow lemon trees to make ends meet. Since they established a cooperative, their productivity has increased considerably and so has their income. Dang Thi Thu has been growing seedless lemon trees for just 2 years but she is very optimistic: “Each harvest gives me 300-400 kg. I’ve earned more than 2,500 USD from selling lemons so far this year. The cooperative helps me a lot in selling my products.”

President of the Truong Hoa women’s union Nguyen Thi Hue began growing seedless lemon trees on 3,000 square meters in 2010. Her trees began to bear fruit after 18 months and profits from the first few harvests helped Hue’s family escape poverty. She has been asking the Phong Dien district women’s union to provide capital loans and create land reserves to help other women in the hamlet. Hue said: “It’s my duty to encourage others to join the cooperative as a way to improve their incomes. I’ve had to go to each family to persuade them to follow the contracted company’s instructions for turning out quality products, which will ensure stable prices.”

Cooperative members are given production techniques and loans to buy fertilizer and seedlings. The cooperative’s membership has increased from 10 in 2012 to 30 at present, who are growing 13,600 lemon trees on 15 hectares. Many households grow vegetables in between lemon trees to earn extra income. Members’ incomes now average 5,000-7,000 USD a year. Shifting from a small-scale household economy to a collective economy is one of the most important criteria of the new rural development program. Vo Kim Thoa, Vice President of Can Tho city’s Women’s Union, said: “2 more cooperatives will be established next year. We are developing fermented rice in Co Do district and star apples in Phong Dien district.”

Women-run collectives in Can Tho city have proved effective in helping members escape poverty and build new rural areas.