Nông dân Quảng Ngãi đi lên từ tay trắng

Used to be poor, worked for hire everywhere

After many years of persistently searching for a suitable direction, Mr. Vu Xuan Truong (village 5, Dak Ha commune, Quang Ngai province) has successfully built a comprehensive economic model: Beekeeping combined with growing coffee and fruit trees. Not only has his family escaped poverty, but his family has now become one of the most well-off households in the region, an inspiring example for many other farmers.

Looking at the property today, few people would think that more than 10 years ago, Mr. Truong was a poor household in the commune. "In 2009, when I got married and moved out, I had no land to produce, no capital, my wife and I had to go everywhere, doing all kinds of jobs to make a living," Mr. Truong said. For six long years, the young couple saved every penny, saved up a little capital, and bought back 1,000 square meters of land. But with a small area and low productivity, life still could not escape hardship.

The turning point came in 2015, when the local government created conditions for him to borrow 100 million VND from the bank. With the savings, he boldly bought more land, invested in 2.2 hectares of coffee intercropped with grapefruit, durian, avocado, macadamia... Thanks to his firm grasp of techniques and application of a reasonable intercropping model, after only a few years, his coffee garden intercropped with fruit trees had a stable harvest, bringing in a profit of over 200 million VND/year.

The initial success motivated Mr. Truong not to stop. After a period of research, he realized that the garden area with many types of fruit trees is a favorable environment for raising honey bees. “Bees not only produce honey but also help pollinate and increase crop yields. This is a sustainable direction,” Mr. Truong analyzed.

The fruit-laden coffee garden of Mr. Vu Xuan Truong's family.

In 2021, Mr. Truong invested in 50 bee colonies. Not afraid of difficulties, he learned techniques from experienced households, and at the same time, linked up with a number of other farmers to establish a commune beekeeping group to exchange and support each other. With proper care, the bees quickly grew well. After only 4 years, the number of bee colonies in his family increased to more than 300.

On average, each year, his bee colony produces 1,200 liters of honey and 650 kg of pollen, after deducting expenses, the profit is over 150 million VND. Combined with income from coffee and fruit trees, the family's total profit reaches over 350 million VND/year. From a poor household with nothing, Mr. Truong has now risen to become a well-off household, with a spacious property and an effective comprehensive production model.

Currently, the number of bee colonies of Mr. Truong's family has increased to more than 300. Each year they produce 1,200 liters of honey and 650 kg of pollen.

Not only worrying about enriching himself and his family, Mr. Truong always shares his experiences with people in the area when they come to learn about his family's economic development model. "The most precious thing is that I have found the right direction, not only to escape poverty for my family but also to share with many other households. Many people come to visit and learn about the model, I am always ready to guide them wholeheartedly," Mr. Truong confided.

The aspiration to rise up of people in border areas

Not only Mr. Truong’s family, many households in the western mountainous region of Quang Ngai province are also affirming their aspiration to become rich by boldly applying new production models. A typical example is Mr. Nguyen Xuan Tien (village 4, Ia Toi border commune).

Currently, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Tien's deer herd has more than 20 deer, of which 10 are males exploited for velvet antlers, bringing in nearly 200 million VND/year.

In 2016, Mr. Tien boldly spent more than 23 million VND to buy 2 pairs of deer from Dak Lak to try raising. Thanks to persistent care and learning techniques, the deer herd grew rapidly and began to reproduce. To date, his family has more than 20 deer, of which 10 are males for antlers, bringing in nearly 200 million VND/year.

The effectiveness of Mr. Tien's model has spread to many other households. Mr. Nguyen Van Lam's family (in the same village) also boldly invested, and now the deer herd has grown to 16. Combining cattle farming, his family earns about 200 million VND/year, becoming a well-off household in the area.

To create a stable output, deer farmers in Ia Toi commune have joined together to establish Dong Tien Agricultural Cooperative, with more than 20 households participating, developing a herd of nearly 100 deer. With thorough investment, the cooperative has built 6 products from deer antlers that meet 3-star OCOP standards, opening up the prospect of turning deer antlers into a key local product.

The deer herd of Mr. Nguyen Xuan Tien's family.

The success of farmers like Mr. Truong and Mr. Tien shows a change in economic thinking, no longer small-scale, fragmented production but towards a modern, symbiotic and sustainable agricultural model. From a poor household with nothing, they not only enriched themselves, but also became shining examples of will and the spirit of daring to think and dare to do.

More importantly, they are willing to share their experiences and provide technical support to other young people, contributing to spreading the spirit of agricultural entrepreneurship and the aspiration to become rich legitimately in their homeland.