The returning soldier and the desire to get rich in his homeland

In 1992, after graduating from high school, Mr. Ngo Van Hung volunteered to join the army and was assigned to Division 337 - Military Region 1, stationed in Lang Son . In the army, he underwent rigorous training of the Special Reconnaissance Force - always ready to fight in harsh conditions.

In addition, he also directly participated in patrolling and protecting the border. His years in the army have forged in him a strong will, sense of responsibility and discipline, which are a solid foundation for his future career.

In June 1994, when Division 337 moved to Nghe An, he studied as a reserve officer at the Military School of Military Region 1. He then became a reserve officer at Regiment 832. While performing military duties as a reserve officer, he worked as a construction contractor to earn an income. At that time, although construction work brought in a good income, Mr. Hung still cherished the desire to return to develop the economy in his hometown.

In 2017, he decided to return to Tan Hoa to start a business raising deer - a model he learned while working in construction. He said: When working on construction projects in many places, I noticed that many people got rich thanks to raising deer. Through research, I found that deer are easy to raise, rarely get sick, the investment cost is not high, taking advantage of locally available food sources, and the economic efficiency is high. So I decided to try.

With the capital he had saved, he invested in a barn, bought two male deer for breeding and quickly increased his herd after a few months. However, due to lack of experience, he suffered heavy losses, losing 9 deer, a loss of nearly 150 million VND.

Not discouraged, he actively researched documents and learned from large deer farms to gain experience. Thanks to his perseverance, he gradually mastered the technique, the deer herd developed well and brought about clear economic efficiency.

After the deer farming model at home became stable, Mr. Ngo Van Hung realized that production linkage is the key factor for sustainable economic development. At the same time, he also wants to share his experience and support other veteran members to develop their economy together.

From that thought, he mobilized veteran members in the hamlet and commune to establish the Trong Hung Veterans Association Deer Farming Cooperative in July 2017. Initially, the cooperative had only 9 members with a total herd of 35 deer.

As Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of the Cooperative, Mr. Hung focuses on building close ties between members, promoting solidarity, sharing experiences and supporting each other in livestock farming. He organizes quarterly meetings, 6-month and 1-year meetings to evaluate the Cooperative's operations; exchange techniques, help members update knowledge and promptly handle difficulties in the production process.

Realizing that deer farming techniques are still new to many people, Mr. Hung proactively proposed that the district's professional department connect and invite officials to train deer farming techniques for members and local people.

Not only stopping at theory, he also organized for members to visit and learn practically at effective livestock models in and outside the province. Thanks to that, the cooperative members gradually improved their technical level, successfully applied care measures, disease prevention, breeding... helping to increase productivity and quality of deer herds.

In order to exploit the economic efficiency of deer, in addition to collecting velvet, the cooperative also promotes product diversification, such as: selling deer breeds, processing deer meat, deer glue, deer velvet wine... Recently, the cooperative has also encouraged members to combine forest planting, beekeeping, hill chicken farming... to have more income.

It is the flexibility in the way of doing things that has helped the cooperative operate more and more effectively, bringing stable income to its members and attracting more participants. From 9 initial members, the cooperative now has 41 members, of which 95% are veterans. The total herd of deer has increased to over 400.

In addition to official members, the cooperative also cooperates with nearly 40 deer-raising households in neighboring districts and provinces. The associated households are instructed on techniques, care processes and output consumption, contributing to standardizing product quality and maintaining a stable supply.

Members of the Trong Hung Veterans Association Deer Farming Cooperative.

Identifying quality as the core factor to build a brand and a sustainable position for the product, Mr. Hung and the Cooperative's Board of Directors have developed operating regulations and required members to commit to complying with general regulations on barns, care processes, antler harvesting, etc.

With the main product being deer antlers, the Cooperative also sets regulations on the time of cutting antlers, preservation and packaging to keep the nutrients and freshness intact. In addition, the Cooperative has established 3 technical teams to support and advise members in the breeding process; in charge of cutting deer antlers for member households.

To build the product brand, Mr. Hung and his members agreed to invest in logo design, traceability stamps and regularly upgrade packaging designs to enhance value and recognition in the market.

An important milestone in the journey of affirming the brand is that the Cooperative has registered to bring Deer Glue and Deer Meat products to participate in the OCOP program. With the support of local authorities and specialized sectors, the Cooperative has completed the documents, upgraded the packaging, and standardized the production process according to OCOP criteria. In 2021, the above two products were recognized as meeting the 3-star OCOP standards at the provincial level.

In order to expand the market, the cooperative also actively participates in displaying products at fairs and trade promotion events organized by the province and district. At the same time, it builds a website and a Facebook fanpage to promote products and reach customers.

With his dynamism and enthusiasm, Mr. Hung has made the cooperative increasingly develop, becoming a bright spot in the movement of veterans doing good business in Tan Hoa commune and Phu Binh district.