“White gold” in difficult areas

On the gentle hillsides of Bang Hanh, Linh Ho, Tien Yen, and Bang Lang, amidst the early morning sunlight and the melodious songs of forest birds, rubber plantations have overcome the challenges of weather and soil on this difficult land. For more than 15 years, rubber trees have grown and yielded latex, promising to become “white gold” on this land that still faces many hardships.

Planted since 2009, the gardens of Ha Giang Rubber Joint Stock Company have flourished with cold-resistant rubber varieties.

These cold-resistant rubber trees were carefully selected and have gradually adapted to the local soil, growing stably and sustainably.

Rubber tree care includes clearing gardens, fertilizing, and pest control, with special attention given to disease prevention in the region’s high rainfall conditions.

Many local people have joined Ha Giang Rubber Joint Stock Company in caring for and harvesting rubber latex seasonally, earning additional income.

Well-tended rubber trees, after 5–7 years of growth, meet the harvesting standard with a trunk circumference of at least 50 cm.

Workers use special knives to carefully scrape a thin layer of bark, following proper techniques to extract latex.

The white latex flows into buckets attached to the tree trunks. This process is repeated several times a day by workers to ensure stable output.

During the peak harvest season from May to December, Ha Giang rubber workers earn a steady income ranging from VND8 million to over VND10 million per person per month.

The latex is sold immediately after harvesting.

Ha Giang Rubber Joint Stock Company currently provides regular and seasonal employment for over 200 workers, primarily from local ethnic minority communities.

Hoang Ngoc