Thai Binh ward youth promote entrepreneurial spirit

Mr. Bui Tho Quynh with lemongrass essential oil products produced by Thai Binh Agricultural and Forestry Service Cooperative.

One of the typical examples is Mr. Bui Tho Quynh, Secretary of the Youth Union of Group 9, who is not only active in Youth Union activities but also successful in economic development. Born into a family with a business tradition, Mr. Quynh was soon exposed to the model of growing and purchasing lemongrass. After completing his military service in 2019, he was determined to develop the traditional profession in a more professional and large-scale direction.

With the spirit of daring to think and dare to do, he and his family expanded the lemongrass growing area to more than 50 hectares in neighboring districts, at the same time invested in building factories, equipping processing machines and gradually establishing the Thai Binh Agricultural and Forestry Service Cooperative. On average, each day, the Cooperative purchases and consumes 1.5 - 2 tons of lemongrass, the price ranges from 5,000 - 6,000 VND/kg in the dry season and can increase to 8,000 - more than 10,000 VND/kg in the peak season. The Cooperative not only produces quality lemongrass essential oil under the Hoa Binh brand to supply markets such as Phu Tho, Hanoi , Gia Lai but also creates stable jobs for 35 local workers.

Mr. Quynh shared: "Before establishing the cooperative, my family only bought fresh lemongrass, cut off the leaves and sold them to the market, which was very wasteful. From that reality, I came up with the idea of investing in machines to press lemongrass essential oil, and then gradually developed it into a cooperative model. Each year, the cooperative supplies the market with more than 1,000 essential oil products of all kinds, with prices ranging from 25,000 - 100,000 VND/product. We are currently completing the documents so that lemongrass essential oil products can be recognized as meeting OCOP standards."

Not stopping at essential oil products, Mr. Quynh also expanded the production of lemongrass products such as floor cleaner, deodorant spray... With his technological acumen, he used social networking platforms such as Zalo, Facebook to promote and sell products; at the same time, he designed his own logo, packaging, and labels to save costs and increase brand recognition.

Currently, Thai Binh ward has 215 youth union members regularly participating in 16 grassroots youth union branches. In recent times, the creative start-up movement has been widely deployed, attracting the active participation of young people. Many economic models in the fields of agriculture, services, livestock, mechanics, etc. have been formed and developed. The ward currently maintains a cooperative group for consuming agricultural products and a Youth Economic Club. According to statistics, there are more than 10 economic models owned by young people in the area, achieving an average income of over 200 million VND/year.

To accompany young people in their journey to establish themselves and their careers, the Thai Binh Ward Youth Union has made many innovations in its activities. In addition to regular meetings, it has proactively organized training courses and transferred agricultural and livestock techniques. At the same time, it has connected with businesses and credit institutions to support young people in borrowing capital to develop production. Currently, the total outstanding loan balance entrusted through the Social Policy Bank managed by the Ward Youth Union is more than 5 billion VND.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Linh, Secretary of the Thai Binh Ward Youth Union, said: "The ward youth union will continue to strengthen propaganda and mobilize members to be creative in economic development. Replicating effective models, applying science and technology to production, and renewing thinking will be the focus in the coming time. We look forward to the attention of the government and departments and branches to support young people to expand production and improve competitiveness."

The bold steps of the youth of Thai Binh ward have been contributing to forming a generation of confident, dynamic young people, capable of mastering their lives, actively contributing to the local development in a modern and sustainable direction.

La Hung

Source: https://baohoabinh.com.vn/274/202170/Tuoi-tre-phuong-Thai-Binh-phat-huy-tinh-than-khoi-nghiep.htm