Farmers also need to be sensitive to the market.
(Baonghean) - A reporter from Baonghean Newspaper interviewed Mr. Nguyen Van Khanh (Quynh Minh, Quynh Luu) - one of the province's exemplary figures in economic development.
- Hello sir, I understand your entrepreneurial journey has many interesting aspects; could you share them?
- I was born in 1964 into a middle-class family involved in agricultural and salt production. I was directly involved in salt production at the Minh Tan Cooperative in Quynh Minh commune. However, vegetable and salt production was unstable, and prices were low... Faced with these difficulties, I boldly switched to the salt trading business, supplying the Hanoi market and mountainous regions of Northern Vietnam. Through this, I saw a significant demand for vegetables and other agricultural products in the provinces, so I expanded my services to include transporting these goods to other provinces. Unexpectedly, this field has been very successful, providing additional income for many people.
In 2006, recognizing the local demand for transportation and the lack of passenger transport options, I decided to switch to providing passenger transport services on the Quynh Minh to Hanoi and Saigon routes. Based on the principle of diversified economic development, and seeing the increasing demand for fuel for cars and motorcycles while the supply was insufficient, I boldly expanded into the fuel business.
In 2010, after receiving training on high-economic-value aquaculture from the commune's Farmers' Association in coordination with the district's agricultural extension station, and with the advantage of having access to water from the Mai River, my family invested over 2 billion VND in a 7-hectare area to raise commercial shrimp. The results yielded significant economic benefits.
To date, from my business activities in various fields, I have an annual total revenue of over 10 billion VND, with a net profit of 400-500 million VND. In addition, my family has provided stable employment for more than 20 local workers, with incomes ranging from 4.5 to 6 million VND per person per month.
- From being an ordinary worker to becoming a business owner with the multi-faceted production and business capabilities you have today, that's truly a significant achievement. So, in your opinion, what were the decisive factors in achieving that result?
- Besides diligence and hard work, it's crucial to be quick-witted and adaptable to market changes, understanding market needs so that production can be effective and products can be sold successfully, generating profits. For example, while in the past consumers preferred visually appealing and pest-free produce, now they prioritize products free of chemical residues. Therefore, switching to VietGAP-certified production makes selling goods easier compared to products produced using conventional methods.
- Yes, and in your opinion, what additional factors do farmers need to possess in order to achieve success in their business today?
- Nowadays, people have access to many information channels and can participate in numerous training courses to improve their production knowledge, understand the market, and find direction for themselves. The development of science and technology and self-reliant business practices enable them to develop specialized farming areas and large-scale commodity production, resulting in high productivity and lower costs. Therefore, if farmers know how to leverage these advantages to find a suitable path and boldly invest in production, becoming wealthy is no longer too difficult.
Thank you for this conversation!
THANH QUYNH
