"The Sweetness of Home"

Starting from nothing, Hoang Trung Thang, Director of Thanh Lam Agricultural and Food Cooperative and Secretary of the Youth Union in Trung Thuan 2 area, Phu Khe commune, has written a startup story that combines the "sweetness" of herbal tea with the creativity of young intellectuals committed to green agriculture, creating sustainable livelihoods for the people.

After graduating from the Faculty of Business Administration at Hanoi University of Industry, Hoang Trung Thang returned to his hometown of Phu Khe commune with the desire to establish a career in his impoverished homeland, develop the agricultural economy , and improve the lives of the local people. He yearned to contribute his knowledge, overcome difficulties, and inspire others on their journey to build their homeland.

Through field surveys in the area, he recognized the great potential in developing indigenous herbal teas as a promising direction, helping to enhance the value of medicinal plants such as papaya flowers, perilla leaves, and black sesame, which are key ingredients for processing herbal teas and beverages, contributing to sustainable livelihoods. The Thanh Lam Agricultural and Food Cooperative was established with 14 initial members.

To ensure a stable supply of raw materials and maintain production quality, Thanh Lam Tea Cooperative has established raw material cultivation areas and linked up with raw material sources both within and outside the province. Mr. Hoang Trung Thang stated: "Male papaya flowers, perilla, and black sesame are valuable medicinal herbs. When properly planned and processed, they will meet market demand and replace less efficient crops."

To improve productivity, ensure consistent quality, and meet the stringent packaging standards of the market, Mr. Hoang Trung Thang boldly invested in modern machinery for packaging tea products. This helps reduce labor costs, ensure quality, increase competitiveness, and expand the business scale. The cooperative operates on a multi-sector model, aiming for mutual support among members and sustainable development, implementing synchronized and efficient production and business activities. With a processing workshop of over 300m2 in Trung Thuan 2 area, Phu Khe commune, it meets food safety and hygiene standards.

Thanks to effective management and the collaborative spirit of its members, Thanh Lam Agricultural Cooperative has become a model unit in building a modern production-processing-consumption chain, consistently maintaining high growth rates, contributing to the formation of a unique raw material area, and creating clear socio-economic benefits in the locality.

Mr. Hoang Trung Thang - Director of Thanh Lam Agricultural and Food Cooperative, Phu Khe commune.

The cooperative's tea products are on display at the local agricultural produce booth.

Director of the cooperative, Hoang Trung Thang, adjusts the newly invested 5-in-1 packaging machine.

The cooperative members package the tea products.

The raw material growing area of ​​Thanh Lam Agricultural and Food Cooperative.

The workers are packaging herbal tea bags.

Director of Hoang Trung Thang Cooperative (on the right) participates in a business networking conference with other cooperatives.

Ngoc Tuan

Source: https://baophutho.vn/vi-ngot-que-huong-250236.htm