Bringing a university degree back to the countryside to grow organic vegetables to help people escape poverty

After graduating from the University of Internal Affairs, Mr. Vu Pat Ly, a Mong ethnic, did not choose to pursue an administrative career. Instead, he brought his knowledge and experience back to his hometown to start a business in clean agriculture, thereby opening up opportunities to enrich himself and his wife in the locality, giving them jobs, increasing their income, and escaping poverty.

Vu Pat Ly was born and raised in Muong Lam commune, Son La province, in a family of 6 siblings. Due to difficult circumstances, both parents worked in agriculture , so only Ly was able to go to university.

Understanding the poverty, Ly tried hard to study and passed the entrance exam to the University of Internal Affairs ( Hanoi ). In the first years in the capital, Ly did many jobs to cover his living expenses and tuition, from serving in restaurants, coffee shops to working as a construction worker.

Living and studying in Hanoi, Mr. Ly noticed that agricultural products of the Mong ethnic minority in the highlands are sold a lot.

Meanwhile, the Mong students studying in the capital all come from poor rural areas, making it very difficult to pay for their education. Mr. Ly asked why people can sell Mong products but he, a Mong, cannot.

From here, the idea of ​​doing business with typical agricultural products of the Mong ethnic group was born in the young student.

Then, with the support of his teachers, Mr. Ly established the Mong Student Startup Club in Hanoi, with 12 members, all of whom are students from the mountainous provinces of Son La, Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai , and Dien Bien.

Building a clean and safe agricultural model is a sustainable direction, helping farmers increase their income.

At the same time, plan your own business and rent a booth at the Agricultural Exhibition Center to display and introduce products.

Mr. Vu Pat Ly shared: Agricultural products in the highlands such as rice, honey, taro, hawthorn, mustard greens, fermented wine, etc., although they do not have labels or beautiful packaging, the simplicity, cleanliness and safety of the products attract consumers.

After a few months of trial sales, after deducting expenses, the club earned about 4 million VND/month. The amount was not large, but it opened up many new business ideas for the group.

Starting a business in the heart of the capital is not easy, when there is little experience, lack of capital, and a competitive market. After learning about programs to support young entrepreneurs, Mr. Ly boldly participated in the contest to find startup ideas among ethnic minorities organized by the Ethnic Committee with the project "Agricultural production according to customer requirements" and was lucky to win first prize. With the capital supported by the project, Mr. Ly continued to nurture his dream of pursuing agricultural business.

His years of studying at university gave Ly a foundation in management thinking. After graduating from university, instead of choosing a stable administrative job, in 2021, Ly determined to return to his hometown, applying the knowledge he learned to develop clean and sustainable agriculture.

Choosing Van Ho area as the place to start his business, Mr. Vu Pat Ly used the support capital to rent 5,000m² of land, renovated to grow organic vegetables and fruits, built a greenhouse and installed a drip irrigation system. Initially, Mr. Ly encountered many difficulties due to the lack of stable output, many crops lost, even one year lost everything due to floods and hail.

Thanks to the support of agricultural extension officers, the Farmers' Association, the Center for Supporting Ethnic Minority Youth Entrepreneurship at the Northwestern University and the Ethnic Committee, Mr. Ly has gradually overcome difficulties. Farm products have been introduced at safe agricultural product fairs in Hanoi, gradually becoming known to consumers and having stable consumption.

Mr. Vu Pat Ly added that he grows and cares for vegetables using organic methods, using organic fertilizers including manure, green manure, and biological products to care for vegetables and fruits, without using pesticides or synthetic chemicals.

After nearly 4 years of starting up, the production area has now expanded to a total of 30 hectares. Mr. Vu Pat Ly established the Hang Trung Organic Vegetable Production Cooperative, then established the Van Ho Retreat Cooperative, linking with local households to participate in production. Contributing to creating regular jobs for more than 20 local workers, with an average income of 7-10 million VND/month/person.

Some pictures of Vu Pat Ly's organic vegetable garden

Every year, the cooperative supplies about 100 tons of seasonal organic vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins... to mini supermarkets and clean agricultural products stores, gradually building the "Pat Ly Organics" brand in Hanoi.

Not only stopping at production, Mr. Ly also turned the farm into a green space open to visitors, bringing the experience of connecting with nature to the community.

Vu Pat Ly's success does not stop at economics. He also knows how to take advantage of digital platforms such as YouTube and TikTok to promote products and tell true stories about the Mong people, how to grow, care for, and harvest vegetables, tubers, and fruits.

The success of the young Mong Vu Pat Ly affirms the potential and value of sustainable development of clean agriculture and organic agriculture in Son La. With willpower, determination, and constant effort and creativity, young people can completely start a business and get rich right on their homeland.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/mang-bang-dai-hoc-ve-que-trong-rau-huu-co-giup-ba-con-thoat-ngheo-20250829101153918.htm