The secret to getting rich of the 'amateur' agricultural cooperative director

TPO - “On the first day of learning farming, I couldn’t even distinguish which seedlings were good or which fertilizers were suitable. But thanks to my perseverance in learning agricultural knowledge on the Internet, I have a good grasp of agricultural techniques and, together with farmers, have developed high-tech agricultural production, helping my family have a stable life,” said Mr. Vu Van Hieu (35 years old), Director of Tan Lap High-Tech Cooperative (Tan Yen commune, Son La province).

Báo Tiền Phong•23/09/2025

Don't be discouraged

Mr. Vu Van Hieu is originally from Ninh Binh province, studied electricity, worked many jobs to make a living, but life was still difficult and unstable. It was not until 2020, when he went to Moc Chau to meet his wife's family, that he was "fascinated" by the cool climate, fertile land and the story of many people changing their lives thanks to agriculture . A bold decision was made: to stick with the plateau, start a business with agriculture - a field he had no experience in.

“The beginning was really zero. I learned everything through the Internet, from how to choose seedlings, improve the soil, fertilize, find sources of materials, to how to consume agricultural products. Every evening, after finishing work, I went online to read articles in the Northern tomato growing associations, Lam Dong tomato association… What varieties, what fertilizers, how to prevent diseases, I took notes and tested them all,” Mr. Hieu recalled.

Chili peppers are grown by Mr. Vu Van Hieu in greenhouses for high yield and food safety.

For the first three years, Hieu focused on growing vegetables and fruits outdoors. The productivity was good, but the economic efficiency was not high due to dependence on the weather and frequent pests. Meanwhile, he heard that in many other communes, people had boldly invested in greenhouses and membrane houses, producing clean vegetables and fruits with beautiful designs and good prices. Hieu did not hesitate, but went to successful models to visit and learn.

“Seeing people earn billions of dong from growing vegetables and fruits in greenhouses, I really wished for it. When I got home, I discussed it with my wife and decided to borrow hundreds of millions of dong to build a greenhouse. At that time, many people in the commune were still hesitant because the initial cost was too high and the effectiveness was uncertain. But I thought: if you don’t try, you will never know the results,” said Mr. Hieu.

That bold decision has brought sweet fruit. After many years of experimenting, Mr. Hieu now owns 8,000m² of greenhouse, specializing in growing tomatoes, bell peppers, Palermo peppers, baby peppers... In addition, his family also has 3 hectares outdoors growing oranges and plums. Each year, the revenue reaches about 2 billion VND, after deducting expenses, the net profit is about 1 billion. His facility creates regular jobs for 3 ethnic minority workers, with a salary of 7 million VND/month.

Not stopping there, he also applied technical advances: Israeli drip irrigation system, sun-blocking nets, and phone-based crop management. Thanks to that, costs were significantly reduced, and output and quality of agricultural products increased significantly.

Tomatoes in Mr. Hieu's farm.

Smart farming, off-season for high value

At the end of 2023, realizing the power of association, Mr. Hieu and 8 like-minded farmers established Tan Lap High-Tech Cooperative and he was trusted to hold the position of Director. After only a short time, the Cooperative had a total production area of 30 hectares, the largest scale in Tan Yen commune.

Mr. Nguyen Van Sau, a member of the cooperative, shared: “We learn from each other, research new techniques online, and improve production processes. Thanks to that, I boldly invested in a 3,000m² greenhouse and installed an automatic irrigation system. Last year, my family's 2ha of crops brought in an income of more than 2 billion VND.”

One of the cooperative’s breakthroughs is its orientation towards growing off-season agricultural products. With its cool climate and large temperature range between day and night, Moc Chau is suitable for growing oranges earlier than other regions such as Hoa Binh and Bac Giang. As a result, oranges are sweeter, more fragrant and have a higher selling price.

Currently, the Cooperative has 15 hectares of oranges that have been certified by VietGAP and have origin traceability stamps. The products are sold at wholesale markets and clean agricultural supermarkets in Hanoi. The price of oranges at the beginning of the season ranges from 50,000 - 55,000 VND/kg, and during the main season from 35,000 - 40,000 VND/kg. This is a stable and sustainable source of income for many farming households.

Mr. Hieu analyzed: “In the past, people often followed trends, seeing which type of tree had a good price, they planted it en masse, leading to market congestion. Now the cooperative focuses on diversifying crops and updating market news to avoid risks. Each household has a different direction, together balancing production.”

Mr. Hieu applies off-season orange growing technology for high economic efficiency.

The model of Tan Lap High-Tech Cooperative not only helps members to get rich but also becomes a place for many farmers in the region to visit and learn. The Cooperative organizes technical sharing sessions, guides processes, and supports seeds and materials for farmers in the region, creating a strong influence.

In particular, Mr. Vu Van Hieu's model was also selected by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to participate in the project "Smart Agriculture for Future Generations". This is an opportunity for the Cooperative to access capital and modern technology, contributing to improving Moc Chau agricultural products.

“What I am most proud of is not only that my family has enough to eat, but also that I have contributed to changing people’s production mindset. When we dare to think, dare to do, know how to take advantage of technology and connect, agriculture can completely become a sustainable way to get rich,” Mr. Hieu affirmed.

Mr. Vu Van Hieu was also selected by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to participate in the project "Smart Agriculture for Future Generations".

Ms. Mui Thi Nhu, President of Tan Yen Commune Farmers’ Association, shared that Tan Lap High-Tech Cooperative is a typical model of the farmer start-up movement in the commune. From an “amateur” who made efforts to self-study agricultural techniques and became the Director of a High-Tech Cooperative, a billionaire farmer in Son La – the story of Mr. Vu Van Hieu is a vivid proof of the spirit of daring to think, daring to do, inspiring local youth to rise up.

“The application of modern technology in production not only helps to improve productivity and quality of agricultural products but also changes the farming mindset of farmers. From small-scale production, heavily dependent on the weather, farmers now know how to connect, produce according to processes, have traceability stamps, and access large markets. This is an important step forward, contributing to increasing income, improving life and creating stable jobs for local workers, especially ethnic minorities,” said Ms. Nhu.