Soldiers and the dream of durian on the border

But veteran To Duc Huy decided to change that. With the spirit of “not giving up”, Mr. To Duc Huy was the first person to bring durian to grow in the border land of Ea Sup.

In 1994, after completing his military service, Mr. Huy returned to Ea Bung commune to start a family and start a business with 2 hectares of fallow land. In the early days, there was no electricity, no water, no road, he planted rice, corn, then cashew, coffee... but no matter what he planted, it was either unsuccessful or the income was low or he lost everything due to natural disasters.

Officers and soldiers of Dak Rue Border Guard Station visited Mr. Huy's durian model (right).

Failure did not discourage Mr. Huy. In 2018, after visiting many models in the province, he decided to grow durian - a tree that was considered "difficult" and "impossible" in this sandy, dry and often flooded land. "People said I was reckless, saying that growing durian here was like throwing money out the window. But I thought, if everyone is afraid, if they don't try, how will they know it won't work?", Mr. Huy recalled.

The first 60 durian trees were planted with all their faith. Mr. Huy dug a deep well, installed a drip irrigation system, fertilized with organic fertilizer, and carefully monitored and cared for each tree. In the 5th year, the trees bloomed but all the leaves fell off. In the 6th year, it was the same. But Mr. Huy did not give up. He learned techniques for flowering, balancing nutrients, and improving the soil according to each rainy and sunny season. In the 7th year, the first bunches of fruit lasted until ripe. “When I picked the first fruit, my hands trembled. Ten years ago, who would have thought this land could grow durian?”, he said, his eyes filled with tears.

In 2024, Mr. Huy boldly borrowed 80 million VND from the Social Policy Bank to expand his durian plantation by 7 more sao. Next season, if favorable, the durian garden will yield 4-5 tons, promising a revenue of hundreds of millions of VND.

Closed pig farming model of Mr. Huy's family.

In addition to growing durian, Mr. Huy also developed a closed-loop farming model. He raised more than 2,000 free-range chickens, selling over 12,000 each year. At one point, the pig herd reached 150, including 20 sows. Manure was composted to fertilize the garden, saving costs and reducing environmental pollution.

From nothing, Mr. Huy’s family now has a stable income, a nice house, and his children are well educated. “Now people come to ask about durian varieties and techniques… No one laughs at me like before,” Mr. Huy joked.

Mr. Nguyen Van Duc, Chairman of the Farmers’ Association of Ea Bung Commune commented: “Mr. Huy is a shining example of the spirit of daring to think and daring to do. This is the first effective economic model with durian trees on the border land of Ea Bung. In the coming time, the Farmers’ Association of the commune will coordinate with Mr. Huy to share experiences for people in the area to learn and replicate.”

The secret to success, for Mr. Huy, all starts with the word "soldier". "I am a soldier. Soldiers are not afraid of hardship", he firmly asserted. The story of veteran To Duc Huy is clear evidence that: where there is land and people - there will be hope.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/xa-hoi/202506/nguoi-linh-va-giac-mo-sau-rieng-tren-bien-gioi-e0916d1/