Gen Z guy gets rich from green agriculture

Minh Kiet cherishes each golden melon in his green agricultural garden - Photo: LINH CHI

That thought led Gen Z guy Truong Minh Kiet (Hue City) to boldly deviate from traditional agricultural thinking to do green agriculture. This guy born in 2002 invested in a hydroponic vegetable growing model with golden melons in a greenhouse and initially brought in a stable income, promising prospects.

From passion to reality with green agriculture

Mr. Vo Minh Tri, Secretary of the Youth Union of Huong Phu Commune (Phu Loc District, Hue City), took us to visit Kiet's garden in Ka Tu village on a summer morning. The golden sunlight reflected sparklingly on the roof of the greenhouse. As we walked, Mr. Tri boasted that this was the first model of growing melons in a greenhouse in the Nam Dong mountainous region.

"The direction is quite bold but opens up many expectations for young people who dare to think and dare to do here," said Mr. Tri.

There, young farmer Minh Kiet is diligently tending to rows of melons laden with fruit, welcoming guests with a gentle smile and sweat still beading on his forehead.

Cherishing each plump, golden melon, Kiet passionately talks about his work: "Growing melons in a greenhouse helps to completely control light, temperature, humidity, and nutrition. The plants grow steadily, with few pests and diseases, and almost no pesticides are used because I aim for clean, safe products for consumers."

Kiet's garden is about 1,500 square meters, of which about 1,000 square meters are used to grow more than 2,000 golden melon trees. Each crop lasts about three months, bringing in about 130 million VND in revenue.

Every year, Kiet's family grows 2-3 crops of melons, and at the end of the year, they usually save them to grow chrysanthemums, sometimes intercropping with tomatoes and chili peppers to sell during Tet.

Next to the melon garden, there is a 500m2 hydroponic vegetable growing area. That was also the first step that brought Kiet to high-tech agriculture. Because before that, Kiet and his father had experimented with growing hydroponic vegetables with simple materials for a long time.

The father and son used bamboo tubes with holes, covered them with plastic to try planting. "Some batches of vegetables died before they could grow, some were bitter. But he did not give up, he was passionate and persevered strangely, failing dozens of times before he could get the delicious batches of vegetables like now," said Mr. Truong Minh Hao (Kiet's father).

He is a typical young face of the locality in economic development, inspiring many other young people to boldly embark on their own careers. That garden also awakens the belief in a generation of young farmers living in harmony with nature, choosing to live green, thinking far and daring to nurture big dreams in the mountains and forests.

Mr. VO MINH TRI (Secretary of the Youth Union of Huong Phu commune, Phu Loc district, Hue city)

Spread from the green garden

Passionate about green farming, this Gen Z guy said he is willing to share his experience with anyone who is interested and wants to do the same. Minh Kiet's golden vegetable and melon growing model has proven its economic efficiency, becoming a familiar meeting place for anyone who loves clean farming.

Here, they exchange techniques and experiences and spread the spirit of farming in a decent way, aiming to create safe products that are good for the community's health. Kiet also guides and transfers hydroponic vegetable and melon growing techniques to many households, cooperatives, and businesses in Huong Thuy town and Quang Dien district, as well as units in several neighboring provinces.

He boasted that hydroponic vegetable growing has 2-3 times higher value than traditional farming. When water, humidity, and nutrition are well controlled, vegetables will grow quickly, evenly, and with high quality. Consumers especially love it because the products are clean and delicious.

Another advantage is that after harvesting, instead of spending time improving the soil, you only need to clean the pipes in one session and you can continue to plant a new crop, saving a significant amount of time and labor.

Depending on the season, Kiet will rotate the cultivation of green vegetables, mint, lettuce or water spinach. Those lush green vegetable beds have been brought to the traditional market to appear on the dinner tables of many families, and also provide a stable supply to some restaurants, wedding restaurants and tourist areas in the area.

Kiet said that the initial investment cost of the hydroponic model is not too high, plus the low depreciation cost, so it is quite suitable for young people who want to start a green agricultural business.

"This method of growing ensures the quality of agricultural products, protects the environment, and is proactive in production. The current market demand for clean vegetables is quite large, so there will be no shortage of opportunities for growers," Kiet shared.

Persevere and study properly

If we have to count the first time Minh Kiet got involved in green agriculture, it was when he was 17 years old. The opportunity came from the time he watched a TV show about hydroponic vegetable growing and suddenly had an idea for a challenging journey for himself.

But the turning point was when Kiet was admitted to Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry. With the knowledge he had acquired systematically and his existing ideas, Kiet ignited his dream of starting a business in the mountainous region of Nam Dong. It was the spirit of dedication, enthusiasm and creativity of youth that led Kiet to gradually realize the idea of sustainable rural economy.

"I am very lucky to have Mr. Nguyen Van Quy always accompany and wholeheartedly teach me. Thanks to that, my love for green agriculture grows every day so that I am determined to pursue it and have some initial results like today," Kiet said about his teacher with respect.

And the efforts of that young man were recognized with certificates of merit from the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue Province (now Hue City) and the Vietnam Farmers' Association for his achievements. That is also a worthy encouragement for a young man who dares to think, dares to do and wants to stick with sustainable green agriculture in today's era.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chang-trai-gen-z-lam-giau-tu-nong-nghiep-xanh-20250620095223065.htm