The 9X engineer and the journey of building the "green seafood" brand

With the desire to get rich in his hometown, Mr. Nguyen Trung Tinh (34 years old, residing in Binh Hang Trung commune, Dong Thap province - formerly Tan Hoi Trung commune, Cao Lanh district, Dong Thap province) has successfully started a business with a circular value chain model, reducing emissions in the seafood industry, bringing high economic efficiency and contributing to protecting the ecological environment.

The awards and products were carefully researched by Mr. Tinh.

From 5 million VND scholarship to business owner

Few people know that Tinh's entrepreneurial journey was almost cut short. In 2012, when he was a senior at Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, his family fell into poverty and could no longer support him. Determined not to drop out of school, Tinh boldly sent a letter explaining his situation to the Dong Thap Student Liaison Committee in Ho Chi Minh City and was supported by the Nguyen Sinh Sac Scholarship Fund with a scholarship of 5 million VND, a small amount but "saved" the poor student's dream.

At the end of 2013, Tinh graduated and returned to his hometown to open an aquatic medicine store with a small amount of capital, mainly buying "pillows" from large stores. However, after only a short time, Tinh realized the paradox of the profession: many farmers abused antibiotics and chemicals, making it difficult for the products to meet export standards, while the environment was heavily polluted. "Seeing people suffering more and more, with the wastewater being black, I was very worried. There must be another way to both protect the environment and help farmers make a profit," Tinh recalled.

With no capital or laboratory, Tinh began to research and test biological solutions to replace antibiotics in aquaculture. For many years, he worked in a small house, selling and researching at the same time, continuously failing but not giving up. In 2018, Tinh officially completed the antibiotic replacement solution set, marking a major turning point. In early 2023, he launched his first two products: the Antibio X2 Solution Set to replace antibiotics in aquaculture and the BiO Gen1 preparation to treat the pond environment.

Continuing his success, he established Alpha Amin Production - Trading Company Limited, boldly borrowing nearly 5 billion VND to invest in building a biological products factory on his family's land in Tan Hoi Trung commune (old). Currently, the factory has a capacity of 150 tons/year, enough to supply the market in the province and the Mekong Delta region. "What I aim for is not only to sell products, but also to accompany farmers in a mutually beneficial empirical model, helping them to verify the effectiveness with their own ponds," Mr. Tinh shared.

Building a circular chain - sustainable development

Based on that research foundation, Mr. Tinh developed the Alpha Amin aquaculture industry's circular value chain to reduce emissions, applying indigenous microorganism isolation technology combined with modern biology to decompose organic matter and excess nitrogen, helping to balance the pond ecosystem, minimizing toxic chemicals and water pollution. At the same time, the company produces products that increase the natural resistance of livestock, helping to reduce loss and improve the quality of aquatic products.

Every year, Alpha Amin supplies products to more than 300 households in 5 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta, mainly households raising frogs, eels and loach. Not stopping there, Mr. Tinh continues to open up a direction for deep processing of frog products, launching the Amin Pro frog sausage line that meets 3-star OCOP standards, contributing to the consumption of over 1 ton of frogs/month, both increasing the value of the product and creating jobs for local youth.
According to Mr. Tinh, the circular chain to reduce emissions is not only a production solution, but also a new approach to help the seafood industry develop sustainably in the context of climate change and strict export requirements. “Applying the circular chain is not only an input solution for the seafood industry, but also brings community benefits such as reducing water pollution, increasing natural immunity for seafood, and ensuring export standards,” Mr. Tinh said.

Currently, Alpha Amin creates regular jobs for many union members and local youth with stable income. In addition, Mr. Tinh also actively shares models, transfers techniques to farmers, and at the same time, cooperates to purchase products at prices higher than the market, helping farmers feel secure in production.

In addition to the business field, Mr. Tinh is also recognized as a typical face of the 9X youth generation who dare to think and dare to do. He has received dozens of certificates of merit and titles, including "Outstanding Young Face of the Red Lotus Land in 2025"; "Progressive Youth Following Uncle Ho's Teachings, 8th National - 2025"... Recently, he won the Top 5 Pioneering Enterprises Award to receive seed capital of 4,000 USD from the Initiative for a Prosperous Community 2025 (Inno2GG 2025) program.

For a young man who started his business from scratch, these achievements are a testament to his perseverance and unwavering passion. “I only hope for one thing, that young people dare to do and innovate, then our homeland will never lack opportunities,” Tinh said with shining eyes in the middle of a factory filled with the green of biological tanks, where the dream of “clean seafood, green development” is gradually becoming a reality.

Article and photos: NGUYEN TRINH

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/chang-ky-su-9x-va-hanh-trinh-xay-dung-thuong-hieu-thuy-san-xanh--a193856.html