CSVN –Having successfully overcome numerous obstacles over the past 15 years, Chu Se – Kampong Thom Rubber JSC now boasts over 16,200 hectares of productive rubber plantations. This achievement has proven the effectiveness of rubber cultivation in driving local economic growth, creating jobs, and providing a stable income for 3,200 local workers. The company’s success serves as a powerful symbol of the enduring cooperation and friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia.
Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia Yim Chhayly attending the company’s factory inauguration in 2018
Steady Progress
Chư Sê – Kampong Thom Rubber JSC was established in 2009, originating from the Chư Sê Rubber One-Member CEO Limited liability Company. A five-member “special task force,” led by Mr. Nguyễn Duy Linh, initiated field surveys to develop the project. In the beginning, the team faced numerous hardships, from lacking a proper office to operating in a remote, impoverished area where rubber trees were an unfamiliar concept to the local population. The residents were unaware, and understandably skeptical, of the economic value that rubber trees would bring to their lives in the years to come.
Despite all difficulties, the company’s dedicated team remained committed. They journeyed through forests and crossed streams to reach every village, educating the local communities and gaining the support of local authorities. Over time, their efforts paid off. Amid the rainy season, the land was waterlogged, but rubber tree holes were dug to precise standards, filled with fertilizer, and the seedlings planted meticulously. Technical experts provided hands-on guidance to the local people, ensuring a survival rate of over 98% for the newly planted trees, which grew quickly and healthily.
Today, the company employs 3,518 workers, with only 150 Vietnamese experts and technicians, while the rest are skilled Cambodian workers, proficient in rubber tapping. This has transformed the region into a vast rubber cultivation area, providing stable employment and contributing significantly to Cambodia’s national budget.
From a once remote and barren land, vast green rubber plantations now stretch across the horizon. The steady flow of latex has offered many impoverished locals the chance for a better life, further solidifying the relationship between Chư Sê – Kampong Thom Rubber JSC and local authorities, while fostering trust among nearby communities. This has also played a key role in tightening the bonds of friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia.
Mr. Yim Chhayly, Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, awarded the Grand General Order to the company’s leaders in 2019
The Aspiration for Remarkable Achievements
Within just five years of planting, the company completed its planting plan three years ahead of schedule, establishing 16,268.68 hectares of new rubber trees. Notably, in 2013, the company planted 4,539 hectares, setting a record in the rubber industry and globally. The newly planted rubber plantations, as evaluated by the Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG), were of high quality, forming the largest contiguous rubber area in Cambodia. From 2017 to 2022, the company produced a total of 97,785 tons of latex, exceeding its planned target by 13%, and became profitable within just one year of tapping.
In 2018, the C.R.C.K.2 Rubber Processing Plant began operations, marking another significant milestone. This is a key project of the VRG, the largest in the rubber sector, and meets regional standards with modern, advanced quality management systems and Vilas-certified laboratories.
With over 16,200 hectares of rubber, the company has invested heavily in infrastructure, including roads, schools, and electricity systems. The project’s internal road network now spans over 700 kilometers, reducing travel time for workers and locals from 50 minutes to just 15. Additionally, solar-powered street lights have been installed, connecting all key areas such as the company headquarters, plantations, processing plants, and residential areas.
The company’s 15 years of relentless effort have created a thriving, sustainable community amid vast rubber forests, the largest in Cambodia under the VRG. This success symbolizes the enduring solidarity and friendship between the two neighboring countries that share the Mekong River. More than that, it reflects the Vietnamese spirit of aspiration and connection on Cambodian soil.
Happiness Flowing from the Rubber
Driven by a desire to ensure the best for its workers, Chư Sê – Kampong Thom Rubber Company has built a modern supermarket in the heart of the rubber plantations, catering to the daily needs of workers. The supermarket offers over 100 essential items, prioritizing Vietnamese and Cambodian products, and provides workers with discount cards to encourage spending and facilitate monthly purchases.
In addition, Cambodian workers are provided with free housing, monthly rice supplies, health insurance, and access to numerous other services. Their children attend a school worth $78,000, while a medical station, equipped with essential supplies and medications, provides basic healthcare services. For more severe cases, the company arranges transportation to local medical facilities. The company has also invested $215,000 to build a temple at the project’s central area, serving the spiritual needs of its workers.
With a stable and high income, along with a comprehensive range of social benefits, free housing, and tuition-free education for their children, many Cambodian workers have been able to save a significant amount of money after years of service. This has enabled them to renovate their homes in their villages, purchase vehicles, and even acquire land for farming, further increasing their income in the vicinity of the project
In a recent interview, Mr. Nguyen Duy Linh, the company’s General Director, reflected on the company’s journey. He said, ‘Our employees have worked tirelessly to overcome numerous challenges and transform a remote, impoverished region into a thriving rubber plantation. This has not only improved the lives of many local people but has also strengthened our relationship with the local government.
Witnessing firsthand the happy families, the sound of children’s laughter in schools, and the lively atmosphere of local temples, one can truly feel the growing happiness of the local community amidst the lush rubber plantations, where the flow of latex never ceases
TIẾN DŨNG
Source: Rubber Magazine
