"Sowing the seeds" of innovation in our homeland.

Born and raised in Quan Tho village, Yen Tho commune, young farmer Bui Ngoc Ta (born in 1992) once dreamed of establishing himself and his career through a university education. However, difficult family circumstances forced him to stop midway. Returning to his hometown, he started a family and worked as a factory worker, his life revolving around worries and anxieties. Yet, it was during this period that a renewed mindset and a desire to prosper in his homeland spurred him to embark on his own entrepreneurial path.

Mr. Bui Ngoc Ta, from Quan Tho village, Yen Tho commune, is tending his kumquat garden to supply the Tet market.

In 2024, he boldly renovated his family's 3 sao (approximately 0.3 hectares) of rice paddies to grow ornamental kumquats; at the same time, he utilized the hillside garden area to grow ornamental peach trees and guava. In total, he has nearly 5,000 square meters of production land, half of which is his family's agricultural land, and the other half he rents from households that no longer need to cultivate it. The land is not contiguous, scattered from his family's garden to the fields on the edge of the village, but fortunately, the villagers are supportive, and the annual land rent is negligible, allowing him and his wife to confidently develop their model.

The idea of ​​growing ornamental kumquats stemmed from a very simple thought. “For a long time, people here have been buying kumquats from the North to decorate for Tet (Lunar New Year), while the soil here is very suitable for citrus trees. Growing them myself will reduce transportation costs, and if we don't sell them all, we can put them back in the ground, so we don't have to worry about them spoiling,” Mr. Ta shared. Before starting, he traveled to Hung Yen many times to learn techniques, visited kumquat growing areas in Trieu Son to understand the process, and patiently learned from friends and experienced growers.

According to his experience, to have large, healthy kumquat trees that grow uniformly for Tet (Lunar New Year), one must strictly adhere to the process. Planting takes place from the 15th day of the first lunar month to the end of the second lunar month. The seedlings are imported from Hung Yen, and are only 80cm to 1m tall. The care period also requires regularity, from spraying to prevent and control pests and diseases, to timing flowering and fruiting, and strictly following the cycle. In particular, kumquats thrive in new soil; therefore, in the very first year, on his plot of land in Yen Tho, Mr. Ta's kumquat garden flourished, selling over 350 ornamental kumquat trees and earning more than 300 million VND.

Sharing his thoughts on daring to innovate on his homeland, Mr. Ta honestly said: "Farming requires knowledge, perseverance, and not being afraid of failure. If you do things systematically, master the techniques, maintain faith and dedication, you will definitely achieve results." This year, on the scattered plots of land around the village, Mr. Ta has planted more than 600 kumquat trees to supply the Tet market. Looking at the lush green kumquat orchards nestled amidst the vast fields, which once yielded a low-yield rice and corn crop, now bearing the colors of innovation, one feels secretly happy for the successful start of a small but determined entrepreneurial model by this young farmer.

While Mr. Ta's model of growing ornamental kumquats has brought a "breath of fresh air" to agricultural development in this semi-mountainous region, the fruit tree cultivation model of Mr. Do Dong Tam (born in 1988), in Minh Lam village, Ngoc Lien commune, is a vivid example of applying science and technology to production.

Born into a farming family and a graduate of Hanoi University of Civil Engineering, Mr. Tam chose to return to his hometown to start a business in agriculture. Utilizing his family's existing longan orchard, he traveled to many provinces to learn techniques and experience from experts and pioneers, boldly applying organic farming methods to make the longan trees bloom 1-2 months earlier than the main season. He uses manure combined with composted corn, soybeans, and fish readily available locally to supplement the trees' nutrition. “The care process requires technical measures suitable for the plant variety, soil, and climate of each region to ensure the longan trees bear fruit early. The off-season fruit is large, sweet, and less susceptible to pests and diseases, with each tree yielding 1.2 to 3 quintals of fruit per season; the price is usually 2-3 times higher than during the main season. My family's longan products have received VietGAP certification since 2022,” Mr. Tam shared.

Also in 2022, seeing the potential of off-season longan cultivation, Mr. Tam collaborated with longan growers in the region to establish the Dong Tam Agricultural Services and Seed Cooperative. After three years of operation, the cooperative not only operates efficiently but also creates jobs and stable income for 52 members, all local households. Besides longan, he has expanded into other valuable crops such as red-fleshed jackfruit, golden star apple, MD2 pineapple, etc. In 2025, after a trial planting period, the cooperative will continue to connect with other organizations to expand the organic pineapple production area.

Amidst the fields and lush green hills, the figures of young farmers diligently working to enrich their homeland have become a new beauty of today's rural landscape. Mr. Tá and Mr. Tâm – those who dare to break away from the beaten path, who dare to "sow the seeds" of innovation in their homeland – are proof of a generation dedicated to cultivating a sustainable green future for their homeland.

Text and photos: Viet Huong

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/gieo-mam-doi-moi-tren-dat-que-huong-269846.htm