Editorial: 80 years after independence, the journey of the "barefoot inventors" is a living testament to the resilience of Vietnamese farmers: from the buffalo in front and the plow behind to mastering technology, creating tools to serve themselves and the community.
That is the spirit of self-reliance and self-improvement - the foundation of an independent and autonomous country - and also a bright slice in the picture of building a strong Vietnam.
Even though they have never been to university, many Vietnamese farmers have created inventions that can change an entire production area.
From small yards, with a few rudimentary tools in hand, they turn ideas into machines that help reduce labor and increase productivity.
Not only helping villagers, inventions also find their way to many provinces and even foreign markets.
Every story behind a machine is a journey of perseverance, daring to think and do, and a spirit of continuous learning, even starting from zero technical knowledge.
From carpenter, lime burner to "king of invention" of agricultural machines
Vu Van Dung is affectionately called by his people with a respectful name: "King of inventions".
Mr. Vu Van Dung (born in 1964), a son of Yen Mac commune ( Ninh Binh ) is a testament to the creative spirit and will to constantly improve of Vietnamese farmers.
Although he only finished 5th grade and never attended any formal mechanical school, he has researched and invented more than 100 types of machines to serve a variety of needs, from heavy farm work to household appliances in the kitchen.
Because of his great contributions, he was affectionately called by his people with a respectful name: "King of invention".
About 50 years ago, due to his family's difficult circumstances, the boy Dung was forced to drop out of school early and wander to Tuyen Quang to make a living doing hard manual labor.
It was those experiences that trained him to be persistent, have sharp observation skills, and always look for ways to work more efficiently and effectively.
Having worked as a carpenter in the army, when returning home empty-handed, the young man continued to make a living with this profession in many places such as Ha Giang (old) and Tuyen Quang before deciding to return home to start a business.
He then switched to lime burning, a job that brought in a considerable income but was also arduous and dangerous. At the age of 40, heeding his wife’s advice, he quit lime burning, went to school to learn motorbike repair, and then opened a workshop at home.
I don’t dream of getting rich from these machines. As long as people use them well and don’t have to work hard, I’m happy. I don’t have any certificates of merit for studying, but I have many certificates of merit for working. Looking back at my achievements, I consider my life to be quite fulfilling.
Mr. Vu Van Dung
A big turning point came to him when he witnessed farmers struggling to pull rice with bulky, heavy imported D8 machines.
Worried about the hardships of the people, he said to himself, "Why must we suffer like this?" and decided to start making the machine himself.
At first, he collected old motorbike parts, used engines, sprockets, and welded them together according to his imagination.
The first machine was born, operated stably and powerfully, and was immediately bought by a neighbor. The good news spread far and wide, and in the first month alone, he sold 20-30 machines. From then on, he completely quit his job as a car repairman to focus on his passion for manufacturing agricultural machines.
Mr. Dung with the multi-purpose plow he invented, which won the Vietnam Talent Award.
Over two decades of tireless invention, Mr. Dung has created countless types of machines from tractors, 2-in-1 water pumps, sprayers, tillers to grinders, meeting all people's needs.
The special thing about his invention process is that he doesn't need drawings. Every idea is in his head and he realizes it with his skills, observation experience, and rich imagination.
His machine weighs only about 30kg, much lighter than imported machines (more than 100kg), durable, less prone to breakdown, fuel efficient and especially easy to use. Many machines have been used by people for up to 10 years without any need for repair.
Mr. Dung invented the machines from old motorbike engines.
The most proud achievement is that his products have been exported to neighboring countries such as Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and China.
Despite receiving many certificates of merit and medals from the Party and State for his contributions, Mr. Dung still maintains a simple lifestyle and a spirit of constant creativity.
He does not seek to get rich from the machines, but only feels happy and proud when people use them well, making their work less difficult.
2014-2015: Mr. Vu Van Dung won the encouragement prize for the multi-purpose tractor project at the 7th Ninh Binh Province Technical Innovation Contest.
2015: He was recognized as a provincial-level initiative by the Department of Science and Technology of Ninh Binh province, with the invention of a motorless rice transplanter - a device that helps farmers save labor, is easy to use, and is suitable for many types of fields.
November 2016: He was awarded a certificate of merit by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (formerly known as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), recognized as one of 17 farmers with outstanding initiatives nationwide, thanks to his invention of a motorless rice transplanter.
2017: He won the "Vietnam Talent Encouragement" award with the invention of a multi-function plow that can do 15 different jobs.
In the same year 2017: He continued to win the prize at the 8th Ninh Binh Province Technical Innovation Contest, with the multi-function plow product.
Pursuing the profession of invention to solve the suffering of farmers
Phung Van Nam is passionate about making his machines every day.
In a small workshop in the middle of a field in Luong Tai village (Bac Ninh), with no signboard or modern assembly line, Phung Van Nam (born in 1981) is still engrossed in the sound of hammers every day, adjusting every detail of the machine ordered by the customer.
The machine is a 5-in-1 ridge milling machine that can plow, harrow, ridge, chop organic waste and spread biofertilizer. The product has been well received by people in many provinces and cities in the country and has also impressed the international market.
Born into a farming family and having to drop out of school early due to difficult circumstances, Nam grew up with the fields and deeply understood the hardships of farmers.
The image of his parents working hard to cultivate the land inspired him to dream of a machine that could replace human labor.
With the burning desire to help farmers, in 2003, Mr. Phung Van Nam went to Ho Chi Minh City to make a living with many jobs such as welder, blacksmith, porter, and small trader.
It was during these years that he constantly observed and disassembled various machines to accumulate practical knowledge.
I work to help farmers get healthier on their own fields.
Mr. Phung Van Nam
In 2006, with the capital and experience he had accumulated, he decided to return to his hometown to open a mechanical workshop. Although he initially only did odd jobs, in his mind he had a larger design: a cheap, easy-to-use machine that optimized productivity for the people.
He considers his workshop not only a "fishing rod" but also a place to nurture a "small revolution in the fields".
Through tireless creativity and experimentation, overcoming countless failures and sleepless nights due to machine malfunctions, the first portable mini-rowing machine was born, marking an important turning point.
Mr. Phung Van Nam's ridge machine.
Based on the engine and gear of the old tiller, Mr. Nam modified the plow to create effective furrows, helping to free up labor and significantly increase productivity.
However, for large-scale farms (5-10ha), handheld machines show limitations because they are still quite heavy and cannot be integrated with making and separating beds at the same time.
He continued to research to create a more optimal machine. Deciding to remove the entire motor, keeping only the bed forming mold, he successfully developed the 5-in-1 bed forming milling machine in 2014.
This is a major breakthrough, allowing direct installation on existing plows. This milling system can create 5 different types of beds (carrots, leafy vegetables, watermelons, cantaloupes, onions and garlic) by simply changing the mold, while increasing capacity 5-7 times compared to handheld machines, ensuring timely harvests and saving outstanding labor.
In particular, the beds created by machines are always solid, do not collapse, help drain water well and are optimal for plants.
His mechanical workshop currently produces 15-20 milling machines and other agricultural machinery every month, designed to suit the terrain and requirements of each type of crop.
Mr. Phung Van Nam's inventions have received many certificates of merit and awards from the province and the Central Government.
He was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Chairman of the People's Committee of Bac Ninh province for his outstanding achievements in the patriotic emulation movement in the period 2015-2020.
He won the First Prize with the initiative "Technical improvement of Phung Nam ridge milling machine" organized by the Farmers' Association of Bac Ninh province in 2020; was honored by the Central Farmers' Association as "Scientist of Farmers" for the third time in 2020.
In particular, in 2023, he was honored to be one of two outstanding farmers of Bac Ninh province to be awarded the title of Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Union.
Once in debt of 4 billion, the farmer created a machine that covers 15 countries
Farmer Pham Van Hat did not finish 7th grade, but has manufactured dozens of types of agricultural machines, present in 15 countries.
In the middle of the vast rice fields in Tu Ky commune, Hai Duong (old), a tall and spacious house stands out in the peaceful countryside. Its owner is Mr. Pham Van Hat (born in 1972) - a farmer who did not finish 7th grade, but has manufactured dozens of types of agricultural machines, present in 15 countries.
During difficult times, he had to drop out of school to help his family with farming and earn a living by doing all kinds of jobs.
In 2006-2010, he invested in a safe organic vegetable farm, a pioneering model in the countryside, but failed, leaving a debt of nearly 4 billion VND.
But instead of giving up, Mr. Hat borrowed 200 million VND to go to Israel to work with the hope of paying off his debt and "finding his stupidity".
Seeing that farmers still had to do many manual steps in modern agriculture, he proposed to create a fertilizer spreader.
Mr. Hat's seed placing robot product.
With his limited English, the farmer expressed his ideas by drawing on the ground. After just a few days, the fertilizer spreader was born, surprising the farm owner and his international friends.
Returning to Vietnam, Mr. Hat opened a mechanical workshop to manufacture agricultural machinery despite being in debt and facing criticism. He poured all his capital into inventions.
When I started working, I "programmed" in my head, figuring out what to put where so the machine would run.
Mr. Pham Van Hat
The seeding machine was launched in 2014, the result of Mr. Hat's days of traveling more than 100km, searching for suitable components and then assembling it for many months in a small workshop.
This product dominates the national market, present in 63 provinces and cities and "covers" 15 countries, including countries with developed science such as: Israel, Korea, Japan, USA, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Canada...
He refused an invitation to work abroad with a salary of 7,000 USD/month because he wanted to get rich in his homeland, continuing to innovate according to the philosophy of "easy to use, easy to buy, easy to bring efficiency" to serve the people.
With his contributions, in 2015, Mr. Pham Van Hat was awarded the Third Class Labor Medal by the President, with "special privileges" for his outstanding achievements in the emulation movement for production, good business and new rural construction in the period 2010-2014.
He was awarded the title of “Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer” by the Vietnam Farmers’ Association. In 2018, Pham Van Hat was honored at the 70th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh’s call for patriotic emulation; received the “Vietnamese Talent” honor plaque and was twice honored as a scientist of farmers.
Turning a car repair shop into a 23-in-1 machine manufacturing "laboratory"
Ta Dinh Huy (born in 1983) had to put aside his university dream (University of Industrial Fine Arts) due to economic difficulties in 2000.
Born into a farming family, Ta Dinh Huy (born in 1983) had to put aside his dream of going to university (University of Industrial Fine Arts) due to economic difficulties in 2000. After that, he chose to learn motorbike repair to make a living.
The turning point came when a customer brought in an old Japanese tiller for restoration. With curiosity and a passion for tinkering, Huy successfully improved and made the seemingly useless machine work again.
The moment the engine started, it opened a new direction for his life, turning a small repair shop into a "laboratory" to create the first agricultural machines from discarded parts.
Huy’s journey of invention was not easy, because he did not have a degree or formal training in mechanics. It all relied on passion and a process of self-learning and constant experimentation.
The young man had to figure out the right speed, weight, style, movement and function for himself.
Having failed many times, he persistently brought the machine down to the muddy field to check, even though mud was splashed all over his face and sometimes up to his knees.
The moment I heard the engine start again, I seemed to see clearly the direction of my life.
Mr. Ta Dinh Huy
The agricultural machine integrating 23 functions in 1 was born, considered by him as his "brainchild" after two decades of hard work.
This machine can perform a variety of farm work from plowing, tilling, sowing seeds to pumping water, spraying pesticides, winching, and mud suction.
His products were quickly accepted by farmers thanks to their high applicability and reasonable price (6-20 million VND/machine), even making them too fast to sell. His machines have been widely distributed throughout the provinces and cities across the country.
In 2014, his “brainchild” was granted a patent. The village craftsman also won many valuable awards from creative competitions and was honored by agencies and organizations.
In addition to product development, Mr. Huy also aims to create jobs for rural youth, willing to train inexperienced people, helping them gain skills and stable income.
Mr. Ta Dinh Huy won first prize in the "Inventor" contest of Vietnam Television and was one of the 10 Outstanding Young Vietnamese Faces of 2016, and was awarded the Luong Dinh Cua prize by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.
2017: He was honored by the Hanoi People's Committee with the title "good person, good deed" and honored as an Outstanding Citizen of the Capital.
2019: He won the Farmer Scientist Award.
2023: He won second prize in the Hanoi Technical Innovation Competition...
Farmers enter a new era
The above inventions not only help reduce labor and increase productivity, but also bring pride, Vietnamese farmers can create their own tools, not completely dependent on imported machines.
There are products packaged according to orders sent to Australia, Japan, etc., contributing to raising the level of Vietnamese intelligence on the invention map.
The "workshop" of these farmers is sometimes just a corner of the yard, a few simple tools, the sound of welding machines flashing under the hot corrugated iron roof.
But from there, the ideas that sprouted from the days of "selling my face to the ground, selling my back to the sky" became reality.
Although each person has a different story and path to mechanics, they all have one thing in common: perseverance, persistence and belief in the value of creative labor.
In recent years, “barefoot engineers” are no longer isolated examples. The 10th National “Technical Innovation for Farmers” Contest (2023–2024) organized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union recorded 88 solutions submitted from 36 provinces and cities, after screening, there were 80 solutions in three large groups: mechanics – processing; livestock – aquaculture; cultivation – biology – environment.
This figure shows that the network of innovative farmers has widespread coverage, hitting the "bottlenecks" of modern agricultural production.
The "Farmer's Scientist" honoring ceremony has also entered its 5th time, with 56 faces recognized in 2024. At the same time, 24 authors/winning solutions of the contest were also awarded.
The annual honor creates a new “life cycle” for the initiative – from recognition, connecting experts to paving the way for commercialization, so that farmers' products do not just stop at small workshops but have the opportunity to enter the value chain.
Photo: Thanh Dong, Manh Quan, Hung Anh
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc/nhung-nong-dan-khong-bang-cap-sang-che-may-moc-di-5-chau-20250821114640272.htm
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