Billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong realizes the concept of 'agricultural worker'.

Billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong's approach to large-scale agricultural investment, based on his own criteria and standards, has truly surprised and impressed many people.

Billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong has achieved great success with Truong Hai Automobile Company. His Thaco brand has also expanded into many other fields such as real estate, logistics, and supermarkets. However, the story of billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong venturing into agriculture has surprised many. One cannot help but wonder: Is Tran Ba ​​Duong's foray into agriculture a deliberate choice or a random stroke of luck?

Billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong. Photo: NNVN .

Going back in time to 2018, Thaco Group lent Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group $305 million to restructure its capital. A year later, Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group transferred 44,869 hectares of projects in Cambodia and the Central Highlands of Vietnam to Thaco Group. With no other option, billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong accepted to take over Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group's agricultural projects.

Thus, the Thaco Group established Thaco Agri, a company operating in the agricultural sector, with an initial charter capital of 17,200 billion VND. In the early days of "riding the tiger," billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong, in an open conversation, shared with us: "Making a car, no matter how beautiful, only brings excitement because of the achievement. But planting a tree, watching it grow slowly, suddenly fosters a deep affection." However, that sentiment only convinced us that billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong loved agriculture; it was impossible to predict how he would pursue it.

The Snuol complex viewed from above. Photo: TC.

In January 2026, having the opportunity to witness Thaco Agri's operations at its cattle and perennial crop farm in Ia Puch commune, Gia Lai province, and the Snuol complex in Kratie province and the Kuon Mom complex in Ratanakiri province in Cambodia, we were astonished by their large-scale agricultural practices. High hills were leveled, low-lying areas were filled in to create straight, even rows. The impressive factories, the grand irrigation systems, the endless banana plantations, and the herds of thousands of cattle grazing peacefully... these were truly unprecedented in Vietnamese agriculture.

Suddenly, we had a funny thought. Long ago, the poet Te Hanh visited the Tay Hieu coffee plantation in Nghe An and wrote, "Our plantation is vast, even the moon rises and sets, yet we cannot leave." If Te Hanh were still alive and visited the Thaco Agri banana plantation, perhaps he would write, "Our plantation is vast, even birds fly until their wings ache, yet they cannot leave."

The banana plantation stretches as far as the eye can see. Photo: TC.

Driving along the length of each Thaco Agri project takes almost an hour. How do you measure it? The Ia Puch cattle farm combined with perennial crop cultivation covers about 2,200 hectares, the Snuol banana plantation covers about 5,200 hectares, and the Kuon Mom banana plantation covers up to 5,600 hectares. Who planned this model? It was billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong. He personally drew the maps, divided the land into zones, and built the operational lines. Why not hire experts? Because nowhere else in the world has done it this way. Therefore, it's not just empty talk; when the representative of the global brand Del Monte visited the Thaco Agri project to sign a strategic cooperation agreement, he exclaimed: "Thaco has been in agriculture for only a few years, yet it has a scale far superior to Del Monte, which has been in agriculture for over a hundred years."

The cattle are being sold for grazing. Photo: TC.

Farming is not easy; in fact, it always involves facing many challenges and risks. Billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong confided: "I wasn't trained in agriculture, but I can pursue and contribute to it because I have three advantages. First, I'm a hard worker. Second, I have a knack for technology. Third, I know how to manage."

Leveraging his existing strengths in mechanical engineering technology, billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong practices agriculture according to industrial standards and criteria. Another noticeable aspect is that whether in Ia Puch, Snuol, or Kuon Mom, he consistently invests in addressing irrigation issues fundamentally. Irrigation is the lifeblood of agriculture; large-scale agriculture is impossible without a well-structured irrigation system.

Irrigation works in the Kuon Mom complex. Photo: TC.

Besides abundant capital, billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong has implemented a very effective circular agriculture strategy, integrating banana cultivation and cattle farming. Almost no agricultural by-product is wasted. High-quality bananas are sold fresh to Japan and China, while the discarded bananas are used to process feed for cattle raised using a semi-intensive farming method. Cow manure is composted and used as fertilizer for banana plantations. And the banana stalks are used to make fibers for handicrafts.

Ia Puch clean water plant. Photo: TC

By the end of 2025, Thaco Agri will have 32,000 employees. Management is decentralized across each enterprise, workshop, production team, and livestock group. Thaco Agri ensures the maximum provision of material and spiritual well-being for its employees. With a training salary of over 6 million VND per month, employees are provided with free housing, free meals, a sports training area, and a preschool for their young children…

Banana packaging line. Photo: TH.

From a casual observation, one might think that the workers at Thaco Agri look more like laborers than farmers. Billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong agrees with this observation. He advocates that each worker should only perform one step in the production line and only need to do that step well. The herder should focus on herding, the harvester on harvesting, the fertilizer on fertilizing, and the packer on packaging, all working together in a smooth and efficient chain. In other words, billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong doesn't hide his intention to realize the concept of an "agricultural worker."

Housing area for workers. Photo: TH.

No one has ever doubted the power of capital. However, with a large-scale agricultural model like Thaco Agri, few wealthy individuals would dare to take the risk. The reason is that if billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong invested over a billion USD in Thaco Agri, he could have poured it into other industries that yielded quicker and less strenuous returns. More importantly, billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong wants to create new value for agriculture. He revealed: “Why did I divide each banana plantation into square plots of 240 hectares? So that when disease outbreaks occur, we can use aircraft to handle them conveniently and efficiently.”

A preschool class for the children of factory workers. Photo: TC.

The large-scale agricultural landscape of Thaco Agri has emerged. What is the next step to consolidate Thaco Agri's position? Billionaire Tran Ba ​​Duong stated: “Thaco Agri is entrusting the distribution of fresh bananas to Del Monte. In addition, Thaco Agri is growing more durian and pink pineapples to meet market demand. Notably, in 2026, Thaco Agri will create its own beef brand to supply Vietnamese consumers.”

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/ty-phu-tran-ba-duong-hien-thuc-hoa-khai-niem-cong-nhan-nong-nghiep-d793532.html