Billionaire on the hilly land

QTO - In 1994, veteran Be Van Mai, in Phu Quy residential group, Nam Trach commune, applied for 23 hectares of hilly land to grow rubber trees, pepper, raise cows, and strive to become rich. However, after the storm in 2013, he was left empty-handed because the rubber trees collapsed and the latex price dropped. Not giving up, he continued to invest in growing fruit trees and developing livestock. After 12 years, the veteran became a billionaire.

Get rich from rubber trees

Talking to me in a spacious house in Phu Quy residential area, Mr. Be Van Mai began the story. His father was a Nung ethnic, living in Cao Bang province. After participating in the resistance war against the French, he followed his wife to Quang Binh province (old) to live. Following his father, in 1978, the Nung man enlisted in the 215th Brigade, Armored Command. In 1982, after being discharged from the army, he got married and worked as a tractor driver at Viet Trung Farm. At that time, his family life was extremely difficult and deprived when two children were born one after another, and none of his siblings were well off.

In 1994, when the State had a policy of greening barren hills, Mr. Mai applied to receive 2 hills, with a total area of ​​23 hectares in Huu Nghi residential area (Nam Trach commune) to plant rubber. “Every time I return to my hometown in Cao Bang , I see people carrying bags of soil up the limestone mountains to plant corn. But here I have a large land, why do I have to suffer poverty? When I received 2 barren hills for production, there were still many bombs and bullets after the war, everyone in my family was worried,” Mr. Mai shared.

Mr. Be Van Mai's orange garden brings in billions of dollars in revenue each year - Photo: XV

At that time, he invested all his savings in rubber plantations. Two years later, his rubber plantation took shape. Under the canopy of the rubber forest, he also planted watermelons for immediate income. After 6 years, the rubber trees yielded a harvest, and from then on, his family gradually began to prosper. Mr. Mai said: “At that time, rubber latex was very valuable. There were days when my family sold latex and earned tens of millions of dong. Thanks to rubber, I was able to build a decent house, get married, and build decent houses for my siblings and children. The rest, I invested in for my eldest son to study abroad and settle in Australia.”

Rise after the storm

When he was doing well, the storm of 2013 hit, causing all of Mr. Mai's rubber trees to collapse. Rubber prices "plummeted" again, causing him to fall into difficulty. Not giving up, he planted crops such as pineapple and cassava, but because they did not bring high economic efficiency, in 2016, Mr. Mai went to the West of Ha Tinh and Nghe An provinces to visit models of growing oranges on hilly land. After that, he bought V2, Khe May, and yellow-heart orange varieties to try planting on an area of ​​about 2 hectares.

Inside the farm, he planned each orange plot separately with paths about 4-5m wide for easy movement, fertilizer transportation, harvesting, and convenient mechanical application, while limiting the spread of pests. “Between the grass fields, I dig holes to plant oranges and fertilize the grass. When the grass grows high, I use a mower, spreading the grass stalks evenly on the ground to cover and keep the soil moist. The grass gradually decomposes to help enrich the soil organically, creating a favorable environment for beneficial microorganisms to help the tree grow. Around the orange tree roots, I apply organic fertilizer, drip water so that the fertilizer seeps down to nourish the tree, and increase soil fertility,” Mr. Be Van Mai shared.

Mr. Mai's oranges are grown organically, so traders come to the garden to buy them - Photo: XV

Thanks to the focus on organic farming, friendly to the environment, in the summer, especially on long hot days, Mr. Mai's orange garden still grows green and lush. When the first batches of sweet oranges were harvested with high economic efficiency, Mr. Mai continued to expand the garden according to the chosen farming process with the area gradually increasing to 4 hectares, then 6 hectares... instead of increasing massively to control the farming process.

By doing this, he has time to renovate the garden, ensure labor and have enough products to sell to the market. On average, each year, 6 hectares of oranges yield about 120 tons of fruit. The selling price for traders is about 20,000 VND/kg. In particular, thanks to organic farming, from the beginning of the season, many traders have come to order oranges in large quantities, without worrying about output.

With his persistent efforts in turning the barren hilly land into a prosperous farm, Mr. Be Van Mai has received many certificates of merit from the government and farmers' associations at all levels for his outstanding achievements in production and business. In 2025, Mr. Be Van Mai was one of three farmers in Quang Tri province to be honored with the title "Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer".

Not only growing oranges on the hilly land, Mr. Mai also grows 1 hectare of lemon, 2 hectares of pepper, 2 hectares of cassava, 0.5 hectares of timber trees, digs 1 hectare of fish pond, raises 500 poultry/year... Thanks to careful planting and care, all types of crops and livestock grow well, bringing high economic efficiency. With this comprehensive farm model, Mr. Mai's family earns a profit of over 2.1 billion VND/year after deducting expenses.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, Chairman of the Quang Tri Provincial Farmers' Association Tran Tien Sy said: "Mr. Be Van Mai is an outstanding example, a role model, a pioneer in local economic development. Not only enriching himself, he also actively shares production experiences, supports plant and animal breeds, and capital for farming households in the area. Thereby, contributing to spreading the movement of farmers competing in production, good business, and getting rich together in the locality"...

Spring King

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202510/ti-phu-tren-dat-go-doi-8ae5287/