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| Le Loc Quan, owner of Quan Phat Honey Farm (Dau Giay commune), introduces a model of beekeeping that yields high economic efficiency. Photo: B. Nguyen |
After the merger, the new Dong Nai province has a large geographical area and a large population, ranking among the top in the country. With a high proportion of farmers in the total population, the role of farmers in production development is even more important. In the context of integration, traditional farmers must change to become increasingly professional and intelligent, knowing how to apply science and technology and closely linking with businesses and cooperatives…
Proud to be an outstanding farmer.
Recently, on behalf of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Association , Comrade Luong Quoc Doan, Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Association, and Head of the Steering Committee for the "Proud Vietnamese Farmers 2025" Program, signed a decision recognizing outstanding Vietnamese farmers in 2025. Among them, Mr. Le Loc Quan, owner of Quan Phat Honey Production Facility (Dau Giay commune), is one of two farmers from Dong Nai province who were honored with the title "Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer 2025". This is not only a personal story of these farmers but also an affirmation of the role and position of the farming class in the industrialization and modernization of the country.
Sharing his success story, Mr. Le Loc Quan recalled: After the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam's honey exports faced significant difficulties as the consumer market stagnated. In particular, at that time, the beekeeping industry faced a major crisis when the United States launched an anti-dumping investigation against Vietnamese honey products and imposed high tariffs. In addition, honey importing countries implemented trade protection measures and increased technical barriers, causing honey prices to plummet while still making it difficult to sell.
At the scientific conference themed "Vietnamese Farmers - From Traditional to Professional and Smart," Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Nam emphasized: We must build an image of farmers who are professional, know how to apply science and technology, and are closely linked with businesses and cooperatives… In addition, appropriate policies and mechanisms are needed to develop vocational skills for farmers, such as: supporting vocational training linked to market needs and digital transformation in agriculture, combined with encouraging production linkages along the value chain, strengthening agricultural extension activities, and improving rural infrastructure.
Through his research, Mr. Quan learned about honeycomb beekeeping, a high-quality honey product favored by many countries around the world. Even during a time of great difficulty, Mr. Quan boldly switched to honeycomb beekeeping, becoming a pioneer in producing honeycomb bees in Dong Nai province.
Since then, Quan Phat Honey Production Facility has successfully exported honeycomb honey to South Korea and several European countries, generating high profits because the export price of honeycomb honey is 3-4 times higher than that of traditional honey. In particular, the domestic and export market demand for this specialty honey remains very high, so Quan Phat Honey Production Facility has partnered with many beekeeping households, transferring beekeeping techniques and guaranteeing the purchase of their products. Quan Phat Honey Production Facility also diversifies its product range with other honey-based products such as traditional honey, pollen, royal jelly, and refined sugar from honey. The facility focuses on branding and building a brand for its products. Currently, the facility has two products that have received OCOP certification: centrifuged honey and honeycomb honey.
Mr. Nguyen Van Khon, Head of the Professional Farmers' Association for the Cultivation of Xao Tam Phan Medicinal Plants (Hung Thinh Commune), is the only farmer in Dong Nai province to be honored as an Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer in 2024. He is also the Director of ETZ Pharmaceutical Investment Joint Stock Company, which specializes in investing in the deep processing of products from Xao Tam Phan medicinal plants.
Xao tam phan is a semi-desert plant that commonly grows wild in the hilly areas of Central Vietnam. When China offered high prices to buy xao tam phan, people rushed to harvest it, putting this valuable medicinal plant at risk of extinction. Originally an electronics and telecommunications engineer, Mr. Khon's turning point in becoming a farmer and processing products from xao tam phan stemmed from a family history of cancer. In 2011, he coincidentally learned about the "miracle plant" xao tam phan through an article and used it to support cancer treatment. His family member fortunately recovered. From then on, he researched more about this valuable medicinal plant.
Alongside investing in raw material sourcing areas, Mr. Khon also collaborated on research and development to create products from the medicinal herb Xao Tam Phan. Currently, ETZ Pharmaceutical Investment Joint Stock Company has developed 5 product lines, including 2 health supplements and 3 regular products. Of these, two products, Phuc Hung Long Essential and Phuc Hung Long Premium, have achieved OCOP 5-star certification.
The emergence of a class of "digital" farmers.
The story of the farmers in Dong Nai who were honored as Outstanding Vietnamese Farmers is proof that farmers can fully master technology, innovate, and bring agricultural products to the world market, contributing to the overall economic development of the province and the country.
Following the merger, Dong Nai province has 95 association branches, over 1,800 sub-branches, and nearly 192,100 farmer members. In the context of the country continuing to promote the streamlining of organizational structures, aiming for high efficiency and effectiveness; and simultaneously with the explosion of science and technology, innovation, and strong digital transformation... this has created a great impetus for growth. This is an opportunity for Dong Nai in particular and the country in general to break through and enter an era of prosperous development, including for the farming community.
According to Nguyen Van Giang, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Provincial Farmers' Association, to meet the requirements of the new situation, the Provincial Farmers' Association is focusing on building a team of association officials at all levels, especially key officials, to ensure continuity, succession, and development. In the new phase, the Provincial Farmers' Association is strengthening its staff at the grassroots level, in difficult areas, remote areas, key areas, and areas where new models are being implemented, in order to challenge, train, and enhance the political acumen and comprehensive leadership capacity of its officials.
The Provincial Farmers' Association also continues to innovate and improve the quality and effectiveness of the movement, creating qualitative changes and providing impetus for strong shifts in the structure of crops and livestock. At the same time, it aims to shift farmers' mindset from agricultural production to agricultural economics, creating large-scale specialized agricultural production areas with high quality, high economic value, and strong competitiveness in both domestic and export markets.
According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Dong, Rector of the School of Public Policy and Rural Development, farmers are at the heart of the transformation and need to be given opportunities to leverage their intelligence and initiatives, making practical contributions to the sustainable development of agriculture. Farmers are not only the direct producers of agricultural products but also key participants in the entire agricultural value chain, from production and processing to consumption. When equipped with knowledge, management skills, and the ability to apply science and technology, farmers will become a crucial factor in the modernization of agriculture.
One of the solutions in building a professional farming workforce is to have preferential policies and support in terms of unsecured loans, application of new varieties and technologies, selection to participate in pilot programs for agricultural extension, technology transfer, and production along the value chain…
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Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/kinh-te/202510/nong-dan-chuyen-doi-so-de-hoi-nhap-7ea653c/
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