Mr. Manh's integrated circular farming model helped him escape poverty and become a well-off household in Hong Thai commune.

Start from scratch

Like many other Pa Co youths, after getting married, Nguyen Van Manh had to face the difficult life of independence. With only 1 hectare of forest land given to him by his parents, he had to find a way to exploit the potential of this barren land. Initially, he planted acacia - a tree that takes 5 years to harvest. A good crop of rice fields was only enough to feed the family for a few months, making life extremely difficult for the young couple.

Despite the difficulties, Nguyen Van Manh was not discouraged. To earn more income, he took on extra work peeling acacia bark. With an unstable income, he realized that he needed to find another way to improve his life. “If I only peeled acacia bark and worked in the garden, it would be difficult to feed and educate my children. So I decided to borrow money from the Social Policy Bank to buy 3 breeding cows,” Manh shared.

The decision to raise cows became a turning point in Mr. Manh's life. He started planting grass, building barns and taking good care of the cows. From the initial 3 breeding cows, thanks to careful care, his herd quickly grew. In just a few years, he owned a herd of more than a dozen cows, with four mother cows always maintained to produce breeding calves. Every year, the herd brings his family a stable income from selling calves and beef cattle.

From that source of income, Mr. Manh has the conditions to invest in building solid barns and developing a pig farming model. Initially, Mr. Manh only raised a few pigs, gradually, he switched to raising more sows to be proactive in breeding, reduce costs and increase economic efficiency. Every year, 4 sows reproduce regularly, providing enough breeding pigs for commercial farming.

Not only raising cows and pigs, Mr. Manh also invested in building two grass carp cages on the Ta Renh River near his house. Each year, these two fish cages bring in an income of about 30 million VND, contributing significantly to the family economy. He also rented more land to grow rice to provide rice for his family and to feed chickens and ducks.

Mr. Manh’s integrated circular farming has become a typical model in the Pa Co community in Hong Thai commune. He not only supports his family but also creates a prosperous and sustainable life. This model also helps Mr. Manh diversify his income and minimize economic risks.

Share your experience

Not only enriching himself, Mr. Manh also actively shares his experiences with people in the area. The knowledge he learned from veterinary training courses has helped him become more confident in preventing and controlling diseases in livestock and poultry. He also does not hesitate to support local people when their families encounter difficulties in raising livestock.

With his dedication and enthusiasm, Mr. Manh is trusted and loved by the people. The times he goes to vaccinate pigs and chickens or shares how to take care of breeding cows are all opportunities for him to share and spread the spirit of getting rich from scratch. His economic model is gradually being replicated in the community, especially the model of raising grass carp in cages.

“My wish is that everyone can develop their own economy, have a stable income, thereby escaping from hardship and poverty, contributing to sustainable poverty reduction,” Mr. Manh hopes.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hai, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of A Luoi district, said that Nguyen Van Manh's journey of overcoming difficulties is a clear demonstration of the spirit of innovation and creativity of ethnic minority youth. He has contributed significantly to the socio-economic development of Hong Thai commune, while also motivating the Pa Co community to work together to escape poverty and build a prosperous and happy life in their homeland.

Nguyen Van Manh's efforts and achievements have been duly recognized. He is one of the typical faces to receive a Certificate of Merit from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee for his outstanding achievements in the economic development movement in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period of 2021-2023. This is not only his pride, but also a great source of encouragement for young people in Pa Co who are striving to overcome difficulties.

Article and photos: Anh Thu