People who are "drunk" get rich in their hometown.

(Baonghean) - When talking about Mr. Nguyen Nhu Phuc (61 years old) in Vinh Thanh hamlet, Dong Van commune (Tan Ky district), everyone in the village and commune knows him. The Chairman of the Farmers' Association of this commune was the first person to boldly build a high-income integrated livestock farming model (wild boars, cattle, turtles) in the locality...

Following a rugged mountain path, we arrived at Mr. Nguyen Nhu Phuc's family's turtle farming model while he was feeding the turtles. Undeterred by the unfamiliar faces, he enthusiastically said: “In the mountainous area of ​​Dong Van commune, people have traditionally only raised livestock and poultry. When I dug ponds to raise turtles in the mountains, people said I was doing something 'against the norm.' It was after seeing many successful turtle farming models on TV that I invested capital in digging ponds and building six tanks; then I borrowed more money to buy 600 turtle hatchlings in Ha Tinh. In the first season, due to lack of experience, almost all the turtles died within just over three months…”

Mr. Nguyen Nhu Phuc takes care of the wild boar herd.

At that time, seeing his efforts seemingly going to waste, many advised him to give up his turtle farming dream, but Mr. Phuc was determined to pursue it. He traveled to various farms in Ha Tinh province, Yen Thanh district, etc., to learn, and finally succeeded. Each year, he sells over 400 kg of turtles, at a price of 300,000 VND/kg, bringing in a total revenue of 120 million VND. In early 2011, he expanded the scale of his turtle breeding operation. Initially, he incubated the turtle eggs indoors, but it was ineffective. Through research and experimentation, he decided to incubate the eggs entirely in a natural environment, achieving high efficiency. He said: The ponds for raising parent turtles should have a water depth of 1.2 - 1.5m, with a bottom of clean, fine sand 15 - 20cm thick or sandy loam. The water source should be abundant, with convenient water supply and drainage, and the water should not be polluted. Near the pond's edge, a 2-5 meter wide spawning ground is created, covered with sand at a 25-degree slope for the turtles to dig holes to lay their eggs. With over 100 turtles laying eggs, averaging 40 per day, selling them at 10,000 VND each brings in over 400,000 VND per day. Including both commercial turtles and laying turtles, Mr. Phuc earns nearly 200 million VND annually. Feeding the turtles is also quite easy, mainly using readily available sources such as shrimp, prawns, worms, frogs, snails, and small fish.

Not stopping there, in 2010, Mr. Phuc invested heavily in building a 5000 m2 facility, constructing a perimeter wall and B40 steel fence for raising wild boars. He went to the mountainous forest areas of Con Cuong and Tuong Duong to find 7 sows and 1 boar to use as breeding stock. Recognizing that raising wild boars was simple, required low investment, and minimal care, yet yielded high economic returns, in 2012 Mr. Phuc invested in more than 10 sows. On average, the sows gave birth to 2 litters/12 piglets per year. Each year, he sold over 100 wild boars, each weighing 18-20 kg, at a price of 180,000 VND/kg (equivalent to about 3 million VND/pig); total revenue from wild boars reached over 300 million VND/year. According to Mr. Phuc, wild boars are easy to raise, require little care, and are less susceptible to disease. The wild boar's food source can utilize rice bran from rice mills, bananas, water hyacinth, and two acres of milkweed in the home garden. The market for wild boar is very favorable, mainly with restaurants and hotels in Vinh City and neighboring districts placing orders, and we can't keep up with the demand.

With income from raising turtles and wild boars, and utilizing the more than 1-hectare Khe Chiềng farmland that had been underutilized for a long time, in 2012 Mr. Nguyen Nhu Phuc continued to invest in breeding cattle. Currently, he has 1 bull and 7 cows, and since the beginning of 2014, he has sold 4 calves, each for 15 million VND. Mr. Phuc's cattle breeding model has many advantages, including utilizing readily available natural food sources and agricultural by-products such as straw, grass, and leaves from the forest.

Having achieved success, Mr. Nguyen Nhu Phuc supplied breeding stock and shared his experience in raising turtles and wild boars with other farmers. Currently, Dong Van commune has 6 wild boar farming models and 3 turtle farming models. Particularly noteworthy is the farm model for Mr. Nhu Hoa's family, with a scale of 1,000 chickens, 4 breeding cows, and 30 wild boars…

With his bold ideas, decisive actions, and successful execution, Mr. Nguyen Nhu Phuc has become a prime example of a successful businessman in Dong Van commune. His enthusiastic sharing of his business methods has further endeared him to the local people, earning their trust and admiration.

Text and photos:Van Truong