A model of devotion to farmers in the Northwest mountains

Mr. Vu Huu Le with the multi-function tea rolling machine.

He confided: "The reason I am 90 years old and still healthy is because I see people making money, so I am very happy, and from there I have more inner strength to continue working."

Born in August 1935, from the countryside of Ha Hoa (Phu Tho), Mr. Le came to Yen Bai to work, growing up with the Yen Bai Mechanical Factory (old) with 18 years as Director.

In 1990, when he was enjoying social insurance pension, right after the renovation period with a valuable asset of a Simson motorbike, he started a scrap iron business to have some capital to open Hong Ha mechanical workshop.

During his field trip to the Northwest mountains, he saw that there were many agricultural products such as tea, cinnamon, cassava, vermicelli, medicinal herbs, etc. that needed to be processed. Therefore, he was determined to establish a mechanical workshop to manufacture equipment. At first, due to lack of capital, he had to trade scrap iron for more than 3 years before he could buy a lathe, an essential tool in mechanical manufacturing.

Thanks to the knowledge learned in the Soviet Union and practical experience, Mr. Le persistently researched and manufactured simple agricultural tools, then proceeded to produce many types of complex agricultural machinery such as tea kneading, shaping, and drying machines; cinnamon essential oil distillers, cinnamon branch drying and chopping systems; cassava root crushers and washers, vermicelli dryers; energy pellet presses, fertilizer pellet presses, banana slicers, grass cutters, etc.

These products are used from households to large production facilities, the selling price is only 30%-40% of imported machines, suitable for farmers' conditions. Up to now, engineer Vu Huu Le and 21 workers have created 11 types of machines serving agriculture and life, thousands of products under the Hong Ha brand are present in all provinces, helping farmers reduce labor and increase productivity.

Many products have been granted exclusive patents by the Intellectual Property Office, becoming typical rural industrial products, such as: Semi-automatic vermicelli pressing machine, horizontal steel cylindrical combustion chamber dryer with mobile drying rack, tapioca starch stirring machine...

In 2022, the company successfully researched and manufactured a multi-purpose tea rolling machine with a capacity of 220 kg per rolling for both green and black tea. The products are not lumpy or crushed, and productivity is 3.5 times higher than that of old machines. The product is available in Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang, Lai Chau ... and is trusted by tea farmers.

In the cinnamon growing area, Mr. Le successfully created a "cinnamon branch cutting machine" which helps increase productivity 10 times compared to manual labor, and is trusted by cinnamon farmers. Thanks to his dynamism and creativity, Hong Ha Mechanical and Construction Company Limited currently creates stable jobs for 21 workers, with an income of 8 to 12 million VND/person/month.

The working atmosphere in the factory is always busy and bustling because there are many early orders. Worker Cao Ngoc Trieu, who has worked at the company for nearly 20 years, shared: “I am attached to the job here because I love the job and have a stable income. Everyone in the company considers each other as family, sharing joys and sorrows together.

Mr. Le and his team are always united, exchanging production plans and improving new product models to suit the needs of consumers in each region. In addition to research, invention and management, Mr. Le also actively participates in social activities.

Since 2020, he has spent more than 500 million VND on charity work, helping people in difficult circumstances. With dozens of initiatives winning high prizes at provincial and national technical innovation competitions, he is considered the "Creative Igniter" of the agricultural mechanical industry in the midland and mountainous region of the North.

He was awarded the Third and Second Class Labor Medals three times; the title of Outstanding Citizen of Yen Bai Province in 2023... Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Cuong Ward Ta Ngoc Hoa said: Party member Vu Huu Le is a typical example in the locality, a mechanic who has enjoyed retirement benefits for more than 30 years, but has never stopped being creative and contributing.

He has many agricultural mechanical products that not only have economic value but also great social significance, contributing to realizing the goal of developing rural industry and improving people's lives. Engineer Vu Huu Le is one of 19 typical collectives and individuals of Lao Cai province honored to attend the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress in 2025.

Article and photos: THANH SON

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tam-guong-tan-hien-voi-nong-dan-mien-nui-tay-bac-post923204.html