Ambition to get rich in one's homeland

(Baonghean) - With the willpower of youth, Tran Huu Duc, a young man from Hamlet 7, Thuan Son Commune (Do Luong District), has demonstrated perseverance in striving to achieve his dream of becoming wealthy on his homeland.

From National Highway 46, winding along dusty roads, deep into the hills..., the tranquil scenery was suddenly broken by the chirping of wild ducks and flocks of chickens chasing each other under the green trees... We were greeted by young men and women in the green uniforms of the Youth Union, and only when Mr. Nguyen Duc Luong - Secretary of the Do Luong District Youth Union - introduced us did we realize that the person with the youthful appearance and face before us was the owner of a multi-billion dong farm in this secluded hillside.

Youth Union member Tran Huu Duc (second from the right) introduces his production model to officials from the Central Committee of the Youth Union.

Born in 1987 into a farming family, Tran Huu Duc witnessed the hardships his parents endured year-round working in the fields, barely making ends meet, and facing extremely difficult living conditions. Therefore, after graduating from high school, instead of attending university like his peers, he chose to move south, hoping to earn money immediately to help his parents support his younger siblings' education. Life in a foreign land was full of difficulties, and Duc couldn't save much each month. One day, tired from waiting tables, he stopped at a roadside stall in Binh Duong that raised and sold free-range chickens. A thought suddenly struck him: in his hometown, with its ample land, raising free-range chickens like this would surely be profitable. After days and nights of thinking and searching for information on chicken farming online, he finally decided to return home to pursue his dream. Back in his hometown, on nearly 3 hectares of land leased from his parents for forestry cultivation, and with the savings he'd accumulated after 5 years of working in Binh Duong, plus some borrowed money, Duc invested everything into a farm and raised his first batch of 500 free-range chickens. After 4 months, that batch yielded a profit of 30 million VND, which delighted Duc immensely, prompting him to invest in a second batch of 1,500 chickens. Unfortunately, this time, all 1,500 chickens were affected by disease and had to be completely destroyed.

Undeterred, Duc was determined to try again. After many days and nights of searching for information, he borrowed 100 million VND from credit and family members to invest in raising 20 pairs of porcupines. The profits from raising porcupines weren't enough, so Duc decided to return to raising chickens. He searched online for information, found addresses of large chicken farms, and traveled to Bac Giang province, visiting many farms to learn chicken farming techniques. With the thought that he couldn't start "from scratch," Duc continued his research by going to Cuc Phuong National Park (Ninh Binh province) to learn about raising peacocks. There, he was advised to raise wild ducks... On that trip, Duc brought back 10 wild ducks to try raising them, and through a contact from Cuc Phuong National Park, he secured a stable market in Hanoi, shipping them by truck, with restaurants automatically transferring money to his account. Later, he transported cages of ducks to sell in Vinh City, and to date, he has established a stable supply chain with several restaurants...

With the determination to "try again after a setback," Tran Huu Duc continued to nurture his ambition to become wealthy in his homeland. As a result, after 5 years of returning home (2009-2015), Duc's farm now produces approximately 18,000-20,000 free-range chickens, 7,000 meat ducks, and 5,000 breeding ducks annually, along with a 1,500m² fish pond. Tran Huu Duc shared: "Because we raise chickens using the free-range model, the farm doesn't require many workers. Just my wife and I, two hired workers, and my parents help out. We only need an additional 3-4 workers for 5-7 days for cleaning the coops and vaccinations, which reduces costs. From 2013 to the present, after deducting expenses, the family earns about 600-700 million VND per year." Currently, on nearly 3 hectares of hilly land, Duc has planted 4,000 four-year-old mahogany and teak trees, and in about 10 years, he expects to earn billions of dong from this plantation. Speaking about his plans, Tran Huu Duc said: "I just bought an adjacent 7-hectare plot of land. With the district's policy of providing interest-free loans of 10 million dong per animal for cattle and buffalo farming models of 10 or more animals, I will hire an agricultural engineer and a small workforce to organize grass cultivation and open a beef cattle farm with a scale of 100-150 cows..."

Mr. Nguyen Duc Luong - Secretary of the Do Luong District Youth Union, shared that besides being a successful businessman, Tran Huu Duc is currently actively involved in local Youth Union movements and participates in the district's youth entrepreneurship club. Tran Huu Duc's business experience, determination to overcome difficulties, and current achievements have become a model that many Youth Union members and young people in the district visit to learn from, inspiring them to strive for success and wealth in their homeland. With these achievements, in 2015, Tran Huu Duc was one of the outstanding rural youth nationwide to receive the Luong Dinh Cua Award from the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union; he received a Certificate of Merit from the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee for his achievements in the farmers' emulation movement for excellent production and business during the 2012-2014 period; he was one of 50 exemplary young people honored by the Provincial Youth Union and received numerous other awards...

Text and photos:MAI HOA