Rising from the soil of their homeland

A stable economic model not only transforms the lives of individuals and families but also contributes to social development through the dissemination and sharing of best practices, enabling everyone to rise up and achieve legitimate wealth. Determined to capitalize on the potential and strengths of their locality, the new generation of "farmers" in the province have changed their mindset, way of thinking, and methods to stabilize their lives and build a unique brand for the land they live on.

Mr. Nguyen Tung Duong from Tam Nong commune is taking care of and checking the growth quality of the golden camellia plant.

Making a fortune in one's hometown

Born and raised in Xuan Dai, Ha Van Tam's life has always been intertwined with fields, trees, and livestock. Upon reaching adulthood, he recognized that Xuan Dai is a purely agricultural commune with many unique plant and animal varieties that offer local strengths. Therefore, he chose to study at Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry to gain a solid understanding of agriculture. He shared: “Based on the knowledge I gained at university, I decided to focus on developing the multi-toed chicken breed and the local tea plant. In addition, I also raise ducks and pigs, while maintaining the area for rice and other crops.” With the advantage of choosing local plant and animal breeds, his model has gradually stabilized. He is determined to expand his livestock farming and also advises 10 other households on initial income generation, improving their family's living standards.

Ms. Vu Thi Le Thuy, Director of the 3T Cao Phong Agricultural Products Cooperative, was born and raised in the former Nam Dinh province. However, in 2006, she and her family moved to Cao Phong, where it has been both her home and the starting point of her agricultural journey. She shared: "Cao Phong oranges are a local specialty, with good quality due to the climate and soil being suitable for citrus fruits, especially oranges. However, the price is not high, and the cultivation and sale of oranges is largely spontaneous." Therefore, she decided to change her farming methods towards organic farming. The meticulous care process requires a lot of effort and expense, but the product's price on the market is not much higher than other products. Thinking that going it alone would be difficult to succeed, in August 2018, Ms. Thuy boldly borrowed capital to establish the 3T Cao Phong Agricultural Products Cooperative, linking like-minded households to work together in production. To date, 3T Farm has 15 members and 21 hectares of land planted with oranges that are currently being harvested, with an annual yield of approximately 350 tons meeting VietGAP standards...

Born in 2000, Nguyen Tung Duong, from Tam Duong Bac commune, just turned 25 years old and was honored with the title "Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer 2025". Duong shared: "During my high school years in my hometown, my father experimented with growing golden flower tea plants. After harvesting and using them, I realized that this plant is very beneficial to health and opens up great potential for local agriculture. At that time, I thought this would be my future direction. I decided to choose the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture, and after graduating, I returned to my hometown with the desire to develop golden flower tea into a reputable and high-quality product on the market." It wasn't easy in the beginning. Duong had to meticulously research and calculate the soil, humidity, air, and harmful pests and diseases to ensure the plant thrived in the local area. After several years of perseverance, Duong's golden flower tea plantation began to yield stable productivity, with good quality plants and uniform growth.

Brand building

After maintaining a stable livestock farming model and gradually developing its scale and quantity, Mr. Ha Van Tam began dedicating his time to researching tea cultivation – a local strength. He shared: "In 2013, the Xuan Dai Agricultural and Forestry Service Cooperative was established with 36 members; tea is grown concentrated in three communes: Xuan Dai, Kim Thuong, and Xuan Son (formerly). The cooperative has focused on establishing and applying organic farming methods in the development of the tea raw material area." Not stopping at just purchasing and processing tea for farmers at the facility, he and the members of the cooperative discussed building a brand for the tea product "Xuan Son Morning Dew" to introduce it to the market. With a rigorous process, the "Xuan Son Morning Dew" tea product, after completion, is packaged, vacuum-sealed according to standard quantities, and labeled... The efforts of him and all members of the cooperative have yielded sweet results, as "Xuan Son Morning Dew" has been recognized as a 3-star OCOP product of the province.

Products from the 3T Cao Phong Agricultural Cooperative have been featured at numerous conferences and exhibitions both within and outside the province.

Remaining steadfast in her goal from the very beginning of bringing value to Cao Phong oranges, Ms. Vu Thi Le Thuy shared: “3T Farm Cooperative was established targeting customers with above-average incomes. My goal is for Cao Phong oranges to compete with imported fruits and established domestic agricultural products. 3T Farm doesn't practice absolute organic farming, but rather focuses on safe and sustainable agriculture.” She and the members of the cooperative have introduced the “3T Farm Gift Oranges” product to customers. The cooperative's main product remains 3T Farm Cao Phong oranges, and from the oranges, the cooperative has developed additional processed products to extend their value and harvest season.

While Mr. Tam and Ms. Thuy had a long journey to define and build their brand, Nguyen Tung Duong's journey was "shorter" because he had a plan to build a brand for his product from the very beginning of his university studies. Duong shared: "I was disappointed when the market wasn't enthusiastic about golden flower tea at first, perhaps because golden flower tea was produced on a small scale and the packaging was handmade. Therefore, when I returned, I decided that the first thing I had to do was invest seriously in quality, ensuring that the cultivation was done using organic, environmentally friendly methods." With a clear plan and support from the local government, relevant departments, and organizations, the young farmer's golden flower tea product proudly received the OCOP 4-star certification from the province. Not stopping at his current success, Duong is gradually realizing a bigger aspiration: expanding the golden flower tea growing area, continuing to improve product quality, and optimizing productivity through agricultural technology research.

Thu Ha

Source: https://baophutho.vn/vuon-len-tu-dong-dat-que-huong-244984.htm