Rice tractors "made in Ut Chi" exported abroad.

Besides easing the burden on local farmers, the machines invented by Mr. Nguyen Quang Chi are also exported abroad, further affirming the talent and intelligence of Vietnamese people.

As the youngest of five siblings, Mr. Chi often accompanied his father to plow land for hire for the villagers. His childhood was closely tied to rice cultivation, and growing up witnessing the hardships his parents endured in the scorching sun of the fields instilled in him a desire to find ways to alleviate the suffering of farmers.

In 2004, Mr. Chi's family bought a combine harvester to provide services as the mechanization of farming was gradually emerging in the district. Recognizing that mechanization of production was an inevitable trend, Mr. Chi decided to import combine harvesters to sell.

“Around 2007, the foreign-made combine harvesters kept breaking down and there were no spare parts available, so I decided to buy machinery and equipment to produce spare parts myself. Seeing the readily available tools, I tinkered with them and managed to assemble my first rice transport vehicle,” Mr. Chi recounted.

The agricultural tractor manufactured by Mr. Nguyen Quang Chi, with a load capacity of 5 tons, has been exported abroad.

Realizing that the soil in Tan Hiep, as well as in other provinces of the Mekong Delta, is weak and muddy due to the cultivation of three rice crops per year, making it difficult for rice tractors with rubber wheels to get stuck in the mud and move, Mr. Chi sought a way to overcome the shortcomings of rice tractors.

"Necessity is the mother of invention," and with the ingenuity and creativity of a farmer, Mr. Chi determined that only by replacing the rubber wheels with a track system with a wide contact surface could the tractor move smoothly across all terrains. With this improvement, Mr. Chi's rice tractor is able to avoid getting stuck in muddy environments, especially in fields with weak or waterlogged soil.

Mr. Chi's rice tractor weighs 2.06 tons, has a load capacity of 5 tons, and is powered by a 56kW/2,400 rpm/75HP diesel engine. The mechanical gearbox features 6 forward and 2 reverse gears, allowing for flexible speed control. Notably, Mr. Chi has improved the tractor with a one-way hydraulic lifting system that automatically raises and lowers the tractor when encountering obstacles. The machine has been inspected and certified by relevant authorities to meet the international ISO 9001:2015 standard. Mr. Chi is currently completing the procedures to register intellectual property rights for his product.

The agricultural tractor was created by Mr. Nguyen Quang Chi after adding a component for digging ditches and building embankments.

To fulfill his passion for innovation, Mr. Chi invested in a ^6,500m² mechanical workshop, along with a robotic manufacturing system and production technology imported from advanced countries around the world . Mr. Chi stated that he will focus on strongly developing the domestic market for tracked tractors, increasing the workshop's production capacity from 2 machines/day to 3 machines/day.

At the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit 2023, Hoang Giang Production, Trading and Import-Export Company Limited, owned by Mr. Nguyen Quang Chi, successfully exported 18 tracked tractors and tillers to the Philippines market in two containers, fulfilling an order. These are improved agricultural tractors with a 2-in-1 function, integrating the transportation of agricultural products and connecting various tillage tools before sowing.

Mr. Chi said: "I added a frame for digging ditches, tilling the soil, and building embankments, integrating multiple functions into the rice tractor so that farmers can do more work, saving labor and costs. The machine is currently undergoing trials in the field."

Text and photos: DONG HUNG

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