Phieng Ngan Clean Fruit and Agricultural Cooperative | Hợp tác xã Nông nghiệp - Hoa quả sạch Phiêng Ngân
verifiedPhieng Ngan Clean Fruit Cooperative – The “Crazy Woman” Who Changed the Hills of Chieng Khoa
High on the mist-covered slopes of Chieng Khoa, Van Ho District, lives a Thai ethnic woman affectionately – and curiously – called the “crazy woman” by her neighbors. Her “madness” was a bold vision: to grow oranges on steep mountain hillsides where no one had ever imagined fruit trees could thrive.
Years ago, Chieng Khoa was a poor commune where farming meant rice, maize, and livestock. Harsh weather, sloping land, and poor soils made agriculture a constant struggle. While most villagers chose safe, familiar crops, this woman dared to dream differently. Carrying young orange trees up the hills on her back, she endured skepticism and even ridicule. People believed oranges could never grow in such cold, rugged terrain.
Undeterred, she studied techniques from regions with similar climates, applied scientific farming methods, and painstakingly transformed barren slopes into fertile orchards. Step by step, she built irrigation systems, improved soil quality, and protected her crops from pests and unpredictable weather. After years of perseverance, her orchard flourished, producing sweet, clean, high-quality oranges sought after far beyond the district.
Her success inspired the creation of Phieng Ngan Clean Fruit Cooperative, offering stable income for members and new economic opportunities for the community. Today, her story is a symbol of determination and innovation, proving that with vision and resilience, a single woman can transform not only her own life but also the future of an entire village.
