The shift has improved product quality, secured stable incomes, and laid the groundwork for sustainable local development.
One standout example is Nguyễn Giang Trí from Ân Tường commune, who built the “Gà xanh Giang Nguyên” (Giang Nguyên Green Chicken) brand from his family’s free-range chicken farm.
Moving away from mass production, Trí focused on quality and processing, introducing products such as soft-dried green chicken and green sugarcane chicken, both certified as OCOP three-star items.
His farm, spanning about 10 hectares, now raises 30,000 to 40,000 chickens in cycles to meet processing needs.
The brand emphasizes free-range methods, natural feed, and no growth enhancers, creating products with a distinctive aroma favored by consumers.
Beyond chicken, Trí plans to expand into processed goods including chicken liver pâté, sausages, and bone broth, further strengthening brand competitiveness. His facility, once family-run, now employs five local workers regularly.
Similar successes are emerging in other areas. Hàn Văn Thanh in Ân Tường’s Tân Thịnh hamlet cultivates more than 100 green-skinned pomelo trees under VietGAP standards, prioritizing organic manure and biological pest control.
With carefully bagged fruit that meets growing demand, Thanh’s orchard yields over 100 million VND (about USD 4,000) annually.
In Vạn Long hamlet, An Hòa commune, farmer Trần Quốc Thắng converted one hectare of corn into mulberry fields for silkworm farming.
Using high-quality mulberry varieties and efficient irrigation on fertile alluvial land, he produces 2–3 boxes of silkworms monthly.
At current prices, cocoons bring his family 15–20 million VND per month. The model, requiring minimal labor and capital, has proven more profitable than traditional crops.
Local authorities are encouraging these models as part of broader agricultural restructuring.
An Hòa commune, with about 30 hectares dedicated to mulberry and silkworm farming, plans to expand raw material zones, attract investment in processing plants, and promote high-tech applications.
Officials believe such efforts can boost incomes, reduce poverty, and ensure long-term socio-economic growth from 2025 to 2030.
Ân Tường commune is also prioritizing key crops such as rice, citrus, poultry, and forestry while supporting cooperatives in developing OCOP-certified products.
Authorities are inviting businesses to invest in large-scale farming linked to export markets, aiming to secure outlets for agricultural and forestry goods.
The emerging models in Gia Lai show that when production aligns with market demand and processing is prioritized, farmers achieve not only economic stability but also sustainable development for their communities.