Portraits of 2 Nghe An representatives awarded the Luong Dinh Cua Award 2023
(Baonghean.vn) - Among 43 typical examples nationwide awarded the Luong Dinh Cua Award 2023 by the Central Youth Union, Nghe An province is honored to have 2 outstanding faces selected: Pham Van Tuan (born 1991) and Tran Thi Hong Tham (born 1992).
The Luong Dinh Cua Award was launched by the Central Youth Union to honor and reward outstanding rural youth in starting and establishing businesses.
This year, from 77 applications from 63 provincial and municipal youth unions across the country, the Central Youth Union selected 43 young people to receive the 2023 Luong Dinh Cua Award. Nghe An province was honored to have 2 individuals awarded the Award: Mr. Pham Van Tuan - Director of Me Nam Nghia Cooperative (Nam Dan) and Ms. Tran Thi Hong Tham - Director of ABACA Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Quynh Luu).

Affirming the value of hometown specialties
For Pham Van Tuan (born in 1991), the opportunity to be associated with this profession is very special as he graduated from the Information Technology Department of the Military Technical Academy. However, with the dream of getting rich from the typical products of his hometown Nam Dan, Pham Van Tuan decided to return and start a business from the specialty of Nam Nghia tamarind meat. In his opinion, this is not only a specialty associated with many people of Nghe An but also has many advantages to find a long-term position in the market.
Therefore, after a period of starting a business in the form of a household economic model, in July 2020, he and like-minded people established Me Nam Nghia Cooperative. Pham Van Tuan was entrusted with the position of Director.
Up to now, the cooperative has exported more than 100 tons of pork sausage to the market each year, customers are not only limited to the province but have spread to the national market. These products have been awarded 4-star and 3-star OCOP certificates by the People's Committee of Nghe An province. More and more products are being brought to large retail supermarket chains such as Winmart, Big C...
From that success, the cooperative has created jobs for 10 union members and local youth with an income of 6 million VND/month; 10 seasonal workers with an income of 250,000 VND/day/person.
After many efforts, Pham Van Tuan was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee for "having many achievements in implementing the One Commune One Product program, phase 2019 - 2021".
Tuan is also known as an active participant in the Youth Union - Association activities at his place of residence, actively participating in the activities of the District Economic Development Youth Club and willing to accompany and train local youth in entrepreneurship. From the revenue of the cooperative, every year, Tuan also supports and calls for socialized resources to carry out projects and youth work towards the community and society.

Accompanying salt farmers to overcome difficulties
Ms. Tran Thi Hong Tham, after graduating from Hanoi Foreign Trade University in 2014, returned to her hometown Nghe An province to work at Ho Hoan Cau Company Limited. Here, she devoted much effort to researching how to improve the quality and value of her hometown salt.
From that desire, in 2017, she and her research team developed multi-layer marine mineral separation technology. In 2021, she boldly established ABACA Vietnam Co., Ltd. focusing on researching and developing deep-processed products from marine minerals to care for human health.
To date, the company has provided more than 20 lines of health salt products to the market, creating a public health solution for the Vietnamese people. Of which, 3 products of the company including reduced salt, shrimp salt, and reduced salt seasoning powder have been certified OCOP.
During the process of researching technology and successfully applying it to the traditional salt industry, Nanosalt was certified by the Department of Science and Technology as a science and technology enterprise of Nghe An province. ABACA Vietnam Co., Ltd. was also certified by the United Nations Development Program as an excellent social impact enterprise in 2022 with positive impacts on the environment, improving the livelihoods of salt farmers and improving health values for the community.
The Nanosalt technology project was highly appreciated by the National Science Council and was awarded the Third Prize by the Inter-Ministerial Organizing Committee - National VIFOTEC Award 2022 and Tran Thi Hong Tham was awarded a Certificate of Merit for Creative Youth by the Central Youth Union.
Previously, Ms. Tham also won many important awards such as: First Prize - Innovative Startup in Production and Business 2022; Second Prize - Nghe An Open Innovative Startup 2022; Third Prize Innovative Agricultural Startup, TOP 10 National Startups, TOP 20 Australian - Vietnamese Women Entrepreneurs....
Two representatives of Nghe An will attend the 18th Rural Youth Festival and Luong Dinh Cua Award Ceremony in 2023, held from November 11 to 13, 2023 in Soc Trang - the hometown of distinguished agronomist Luong Dinh Cua.