The aspiration to get rich from agriculture.
Vu Van Anh (born in 1991) from Ninh Giang commune, Ninh Binh province, grew up in a farming family and dreamed of becoming wealthy through agriculture since his high school years. He graduated with a degree in Agricultural Business from the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture.
After working at a seafood company, in 2015 he decided to start his own business by renting 12 acres of land in Thai Binh (formerly) to grow lotus for seeds. However, his real connection with lotus roots only came in 2016, when traders from Hai Phong suggested buying this agricultural product back from him.
After several years working in Thai Binh province, Van Anh failed and returned to his hometown in Nam Dinh (formerly) to seek a new direction; he joined a local company. In 2022, he decided to strike out on his own, building his own brand of lotus root products.
He leased over 3 acres of public land to invest in a factory for processing lotus root products; he also invested in various grinding machines, powder filtering machines, drying machines, and vacuum packaging machines to ensure a fully mechanized production process. To secure a stable supply of raw materials, he partnered with lotus root growers in the province, covering a total area of approximately 4 hectares. The entire area is cultivated with the Bach Diep lotus variety.
Speaking about the brand name "Sen 90," Mr. Van Anh shared: "The number 90 is a nostalgic reminder of the difficult years of the 1990s. Back then, agricultural products had low yields but were of very good quality and used very little chemicals. I wanted to create a farming area that cultivated naturally, like in the old days, minimizing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides."
To date, Mr. Vu Van Anh's business model is providing regular employment for 4 workers and many seasonal workers. Expected revenue in 2025 is nearly 1 billion VND, with a profit margin of approximately 35%.
The arduous "gamble" with lotus root starch.
The main product that helped build the brand of Vu Van Anh's economic model is lotus root starch. Taking advantage of his family's tradition of making cassava starch, he only needed about 3 trial batches to find the optimal production process. However, the biggest obstacle was the cost.
Anh Van Anh recounted: "When I launched it, lotus root starch was priced at up to 800,000 VND/kg, while kudzu starch was only 90,000 - 100,000 VND/kg. Customers were hesitant because the price was too high and they didn't understand the product."
Undeterred, he chose to offer free samples (50g - 100g) for customers to try. Fortunately, luck smiled upon him when the trend of eating lotus root starch, popularized by Chinese TikTokers, boomed. Customers began searching for this keyword, and in Northern Vietnam at that time, Van Anh was one of the pioneers in producing it. From Facebook, the initial sporadic orders gradually turned into stable wholesale and distribution relationships.
To obtain a sticky, rich, and fragrant starch, Mr. Van Anh said that selecting the right variety and harvesting time are the most important steps. The current production process is semi-manual: machinery assists in washing, grinding, and drying, but the impurity filtering stage still has to be done meticulously by hand to ensure purity.
Transforming lotus root into a unique pho dish.
Since 2023, Vu Van Anh has been nurturing and experimenting with the idea of using lotus root to make dried pho noodles. Initially, he collaborated with a factory that mixed rice flour with lotus root and then extruded it (in the form of dried vermicelli). However, this method did not produce the desired product.
Undeterred, he experimented and switched to a new process: spreading the batter like making rice rolls, then cutting it into fresh pho noodles. The ingredients are completely natural, consisting only of rice and lotus root, with absolutely no additives.
According to Mr. Van Anh, the product has a natural color similar to crab noodle soup, but the flavor is completely different. "The noodles have a distinctive aroma of lotus root, a subtly sweet taste, and a natural chewiness without any additives. The ingredients consist entirely of rice and lotus root, but the rice ratio must be carefully balanced; using only lotus root would make it impossible to shape and the cost would be very high," he said.
According to Mr. Van Anh, although it has only been on a trial basis recently, the Sen 90 pho has received positive feedback from existing customers and is in the process of finalizing the legal aspects of its packaging. This is considered a promising product that could create a breakthrough for the Sen 90 brand in the near future.
The dream of clean raw material sources and microbial technology.
Along with boosting processing, the owner of "Sen 90" is focusing on building a green and sustainable raw material area.
In 2024, he devoted considerable effort to researching and applying microbial technology to improve the quality of processed lotus products, developing a project that reached the finals of the Thanh Nam startup competition.
According to Mr. Van Anh, the main source of raw materials for his facility is currently located in Nghia Hung, covering an area of approximately 9 hectares. He is currently developing a raw material production area within the locality, covering over 2 hectares, in direct cooperation with local farmers for the 2026 harvest season. This approach not only ensures a stable supply but also helps local people diversify their crops, increase their income, and prosper on their own land.
“Applying microbial technology to the entire process, from soil treatment and composting to natural plant protection products, will help reduce input costs in cultivation and production; better protect the health of those directly involved in production and minimize negative impacts on the environment. The quality of lotus and lotus products will also be more natural and better ensured for health,” said Mr. Vu Van Anh.
With solid steps starting from starch, tea, and now lotus pho, this young man from Nam Dinh is aiming for a revenue of 2 billion VND by 2026, continuing his journey to wealth in his hometown.
Sharing his experience with young people who want to start an agricultural business, Mr. Van Anh said that first and foremost, they need to have a passion for it; identify market needs and trends; and determine the product they want to start a business with.
According to Mr. Van Anh, consumers have increasingly high demands and requirements for quality products that are of natural origin and environmentally friendly.
"The products we create must meet market demands, and most importantly, quality must be consistent. The greater the success, the more we must uphold quality. That is the guiding principle for sustainable development," said Vu Van Anh, owner of the "Sen 90" brand.
Besides creating new products and promoting linkages and consumption of local agricultural products, Mr. Vu Van Anh also actively participates in patriotic emulation movements, contributing to accelerating the process of building advanced and model new rural areas in the locality.
To date, Vu Van Anh has been honored with numerous awards. In 2025, he was awarded the title of "Outstanding Young Person Following Uncle Ho's Teachings" nationwide for the eighth time by the Central Youth Union.
With a strong will to overcome difficulties and achieve legitimate wealth in his homeland, Vu Van Anh, the owner of "Sen 90," is one of the exemplary figures representing the innovative, creative, and daring spirit of Ninh Binh's youth in the new era; at the same time, contributing to spreading the spirit of entrepreneurship and starting businesses to alleviate poverty and achieve legitimate wealth for young people, especially those in rural and mountainous areas.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/9x-khoi-nghiep-tu-dong-ruong-que-huong-bien-cu-sen-thanh-mon-pho-doc-dao-post1799381.tpo
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