Mr. Le Anh Tu, the owner of the Hoa Bac che day processing establishment business in Nam My village, Hoa Bac commune, said that every year he sells 120-130kg of dried che day to the market, earning net profit of nearly 200 million VND.

Talking about the opportunity to start a business with che day, Mr. Tu said that he used to be a teacher in the mountainous commune of Hoa Bac of Hoa Vang district, Da Nang city, so he had many opportunities to interact with students of the Co Tu ethnic group.

Every time he visited Co Tu families to encourage children to go to school, local people offered him a drink that was in clear yellow, fragrant, had a bitter taste and a sweet aftertaste. According to Co Tu people, this is a drink made from che day, a type of forest leaf that can treat stomach diseases, helpd users eat well and sleep well.

In Hoa Bac, che day trees grow wild under the forest canopy. The Co Tu people often take che day leaves home to cook and drink or dry to store.

Tu thought of a plan to commercialize che day to help local people escape poverty.

Tu began to learn about the soil, and at the same time planting techniques, how to care for, harvest, and process che day.

Allocated with 100 million VND by the Department of Science and Technology of Da Nang City and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hoa Vang district in 2019, Tu started forming 1 hectare of che day.

He cast hundreds of concrete pillars and woven a sturdy steel mesh trellis for che day trees to climb up. He also designed a system to bring spring water from the source to irrigate the garden, and installed an automatic misting system. Total investment cost was nearly 500 million VND.

The che day has the outstanding advantage of not being damaged by pests or diseases, so Tu does not have to use chemicals. He just needs to water the trees every day and clears the grass after harvest.

After being harvested, che day leaves are processed manually on wood stoves. Each batch of 16kg of fresh leaves, brewed evenly for 60 minutes, will yield 4kg of dry leaves. He then brews the leaves for another 12 hours and then dry them in the sun for three times to get the finished product.

Every 45 days he will harvest the leaves once. Each time he collects about 350kg of dried leaves, which are sold for 180,000 VND/kg. Every year the garden yields 120kg of dried product. After deducting expenses, Tu earns a net profit of more than 150 million VND. He creates jobs for 8-10 workers with a salary of 300,000 VND/day. He is currently guiding and helping local people in growing commercial che day.

Tu has expanded his garden from 1 to 2 hectares and linked with other households to have stable raw material sources for production. This model helps the Co Tu people cling to the land and the forest, have stable jobs and economic resources, improve their lives, and escape poverty sustainably...

Hoa Bac che day product has been recognized as OCOP product of 3 stars. The product is widely consumed in the market and is facilitated for entering luxury hotels and resorts in the city.

Tu said that in the near future, he will research and develop more products from che day such as che day bags and glue, with the support of the Departments of Science and Technology of Da Nang City and of Hoa Vang district. Expanding production will help people have good income and improve their lives.

According to the Secretary of the Hoa Bac Commune Party Committee, Mr. Le Anh Tu is a typical example in local economic development. This is a good and creative model, helping many local people get jobs and escape poverty sustainably.