Agricultural expert Nguyen Lan Hung, who recently won the Special Topic Award "Farmer Journalist" of the 2nd National Press Award on Agriculture, Farmers, and Rural Areas in 2024, has had a long journey of attachment to farmers and Vietnamese agriculture.
With the series of articles "Finding a thousand and one ways for farmers to get rich", agricultural expert Nguyen Lan Hung has inspired and found practical and easy-to-apply models of getting rich for Vietnamese farmers.
In a conversation with Dan Viet newspaper reporters on the sidelines of the "2nd National Press Awards Ceremony on Agriculture, Farmers, and Rural Areas of Vietnam in 2024" held on the evening of December 10, agricultural expert Nguyen Lan Hung shared about his journey of writing, memorable stories and emotions when receiving the noble award.
Comrade Ngo Van Cuong - Secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and Comrade Tran Lan Phuong - Vice President of the Vietnam Women's Union presented the special topic awards "Farmer Journalist" to agricultural expert Nguyen Lan Hung. Photo: Pham Hung.
With over 50 years of experience in the agricultural sector, you are not only an expert and a writer, but also an inspiration, leading stories about farmers, helping them get rich from their own land. Sir, how do you feel when receiving the Special Topic Award "Farmer Journalist" this year?
- When I was informed of this award, I was really moved. This is a huge honor for me, but I feel even luckier that my work has been recognized. For the past few decades, I have only focused on my work, not thinking about the award.
This award, I think, is not only my personal achievement but also that of scientists , experts and especially Vietnamese farmers, who have always believed in and implemented the models that I introduced.
I hope that this award will be a motivation for many people to join in helping farmers, helping them to rise up, especially in the current period, when there are strong changes in agricultural policies.
The series of articles "Finding a thousand and one ways for farmers to get rich" (inspired by the book 1001 ways to do business) can be said to be one of the important highlights in your career. What inspired you to do this series of articles?
- The inspiration came from the reality of rural Vietnam. I graduated in 1967 and started writing for newspapers right away. But in later years, when I saw poor farmers, I felt even more troubled. In the 1990s, when I went to Thailand, I saw that the King of Thailand had presided over a project to write books about jobs for farmers.
When I returned to Vietnam, I proposed to the Agriculture Publishing House to implement a program to write 100 jobs for farmers. Then, with the birth of the OCOP movement, I saw thousands of new jobs developing and felt that I could continue to research and find new ways for farmers.
The book series "1001 Ways to Do Business" is the result of collaboration with experts and scientists from many different fields. But I do not just want to stop at books, but also want Vietnamese farmers to easily access this knowledge through the press. The series of articles "Finding a Thousand and One Ways to Get Rich" consisting of 8 articles published in the newspaper Nong Thon Ngay Nay is to meet that need. My articles are not only theoretical, but very practical, easy to understand and can be applied immediately to farmers' production.
A book in the series "1001 ways to do business" researched and written by agricultural expert Nguyen Lan Hung and experts and scientists across the country.
During your journey writing for Vietnamese farmers, what memorable experiences have you had when interacting with farmers and finding models for getting rich?
- There are many stories that I will always remember. One of the most touching stories is about Mr. Cuong in Hai Duong. He was the first farmer to raise soft-shell turtles in Vietnam. He came to see me very early, when there was no documentation on raising soft-shell turtles. We had to research, find documents from abroad, and then experiment step by step.
I remember the times we had to cycle from Hanoi to Hai Duong on weekends to support Mr. Cuong. We were the ones who helped him build the process of raising soft-shell turtles, and from there this model became a big movement, not only in Hai Duong but also spread throughout the country.
Another story is about Mr. Son in Ha Bac. He bought frogs from China, but did not know how to raise them. We helped him research and find a way to train frogs to eat static food, thereby creating a successful frog farming process. These models not only help farmers earn high incomes, but also motivate many others to continue to learn and follow.
Can you share about your writing process, from the early days until today? What factors have helped you succeed in writing for farmers?
- I started writing for newspapers very early, in 1967, when I wrote for the Thieu Nien Tien Phong newspaper about interesting science and technology stories. At that time, there was no TV station, only the Voice of Vietnam radio station, and I also wrote for the "An interesting story every week" column of this station. The science stories that I wrote were not only for children, but also for adults. Later, I wrote for many major newspapers such as Tien Phong, Quan Doi Nhan Dan, Nhan Dan,... these experiences helped me hone my writing skills.
At first, I also received many comments, including a very valuable lesson from journalist Vu Hung, who told me: "You write well but your sentences are a bit long." Actually, because we were learning Russian, my sentences were often long-winded. After that, I tried to adjust them, if the sentences were longer than 15 words, I would cut them into shorter, easier-to-understand sentences. I think that writing for farmers must be simple, easy to understand, concise, and cannot be long-winded or use specialized formulas, because that would make it difficult for them to access.
President Ho Chi Minh himself taught that writing must be concise, clear and easy to understand, especially when writing for farmers. I always remember that and apply it in my writing. There are articles I write that readers not only understand but also find pleasant, they even say that my article is like a novel. That makes me happy, because I know I have succeeded in making farmers not only read but also enjoy reading, understand and are willing to apply what I share in the article.
Agricultural expert Nguyen Lan Hung (left) arrived very early at the 2nd National Press Awards Ceremony on Agriculture, Farmers, and Rural Areas of Vietnam in 2024.
Can you share about the challenges in bringing farmers' stories closer to readers?
- The biggest challenge is how to make my articles not just theoretical, but really close and easy to apply. My articles do not use difficult terms but are written in a way that farmers can easily apply to their work.
Therefore, I always try to write concisely, easily understood and highly applicable. Stories about farmers are not only successful models, but also lessons and practical experiences, helping them to change their way of doing things and increase their income from their homeland.
The press plays a very important role in transmitting information and knowledge to farmers. It not only helps farmers access new production models, but also acts as a bridge for experts and scientists to share the latest research and inventions in agriculture. The press can help change farmers' awareness and thinking, helping them apply modern production methods, thereby improving productivity and income.
Finally, with the successes you have achieved, what are your plans for the future to continue supporting farmers and developing sustainable Vietnamese agriculture and rural areas?
- In the future, I will continue to write articles and research new agricultural models, especially high-tech agriculture and organic agriculture. I also hope to contribute to building a large movement in which Vietnamese farmers can be self-sufficient in production, improve their income and quality of life. Vietnamese agriculture is facing great opportunities, and I hope to continue to accompany people, support them to develop sustainably and grow strongly.
Thanks for your interesting sharing!
Source: https://danviet.vn/chuyen-gia-nong-nghiep-nguyen-lan-hung-giai-thuong-khong-chi-cua-toi-ma-la-cua-tat-ca-nong-dan-viet-nam-20241211170346315.htm
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