Tran Huy Duong - Love for the Land of a Thousand Flowers
In Lam Dong province, Mr. Tran Huy Duong is one of the pioneers in applying high-tech and smart agriculture to production. Now, with two large farms and a coffee shop, he continues to learn and apply new technologies, living up to the title he gives himself on his personal Facebook page: the tech-savvy farmer.
Content:Cherry Blossom /Technique:Hong Toai• September 4, 2025
With its fertile land and favorable natural conditions, the former city of Da Lat is a wonderful place to start an agricultural business. Seeing this potential, more than 20 years ago, Mr. Tran Huy Duong left his position as head of department at the Lam Dong Post Office, returned to his gardens, dedicated himself to flowers, and laid the first bricks for the Lang Biang farm.
Farming wasn't easy for someone like him, who was completely unfamiliar with the field. Therefore, he sought every way to learn. He learned from books, online, from friends, from other farmers, and from experts. He visited the world's most famous flower-growing countries: the Netherlands, Israel, Spain, and Japan, gathering knowledge from each place to apply to his farm.
Through trial and error and continuous learning, Mr. Duong enriched his knowledge with each flower season. He chose a different path: cultivating and supplying the market with the newest and most unique flower varieties. He was a pioneer in importing and cultivating chrysanthemums, carnations, lilies, and later Japanese daisies, ranunculus, hydrangeas, baby's breath, daffodils, and more.
From an outsider, he became one of the most successful flower growers in the area, serving as Chairman of the Da Lat Flower Association for two consecutive terms, from 2009 to 2013.
But to achieve that success, he experienced bitter failures. There were times when, just days before the Lunar New Year, a tornado struck, sweeping away the greenhouse and the flowers. That year, he lost everything. Then, one year, he sold the same lilies to Hanoi. On the evening of the 29th of the Lunar New Year, when he received the order, the customer complained that the lilies were too young and wouldn't bloom in time for Tet. With his experience, he knew that batch of lilies would bloom on time, but he decided to let the customer win, accepting the refund and hiring someone to transport the flowers by plane to sell in Saigon.
He shared:People say that farming is about going up and down the fields, about emotions, and about risks. That's absolutely true. I sell flowers, I sell beauty, I sell emotions, and I'm ready to exchange, return, or refund customers immediately, thereby building a solid market position for Lang Biang Farm.
Having achieved success with flowers, he continued to grow vegetables. And his vegetable farm was also built on a philosophy of differentiation, which is to be at the forefront of applying high technology to production. More than 10 years ago, LangBiang Farm Co., Ltd. was recognized as a high-tech agricultural enterprise by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Lang Biang Farm, an export-oriented vegetable farm spanning over 20 hectares in Lac Duong commune, Lam Dong province, boasts a spacious layout with major roads. Nearly 100 workers are employed daily to cultivate, care for, and harvest over a dozen varieties of high-quality vegetables for export to markets such as South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan. The vegetables are grown using a recirculating hydroponic system, with automated processes from water pumping and nutrient mixing to nutrient regulation. To ensure export standards, the vegetables are protected from pests and diseases using greenhouses, sticky traps, lights, and fans.
In particular, the farm installs smart sensor devices that are connected and automatically controlled via a network throughout the production process, also known as IoT technology.
As he gave us a tour of the farm, Mr. Duong explained:The farm has a motorized shading system and sensor systems. When temperatures are high or the weather is harsh, the sensors control the fans to run, and the black netting is also pulled out, creating the best microclimate for the crops. Irrigation and nutrient supply are also completely automated. The entire system is controlled from the farm's central software. This is Agriculture 4.0, or smart farming.
Currently, Mr. Tran Huy Duong is the Chairman of the Board of Members of Lang Biang Farm Co., Ltd., Lam Dong province. The company supplies the market with many new and unique vegetable varieties such as baby celery, baby spinach, berrymato peppers, rocket lettuce, butternut squash, etc., with the main export markets being South Korea and Singapore. Vegetable export revenue to South Korea reaches US$2 million/year, and to Singapore reaches US$300,000-400,000/year.
For over 20 years, from humble beginnings to becoming a multi-millionaire farmer, Mr. Duong has never stopped searching for new directions. The Green Box cafe was established over 7 years ago when he recognized the potential of agricultural tourism. Located on Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Street, Lang Biang Ward, Da Lat, it combines a relaxing space for conversation with gardens full of flowers, vegetables, and fruits. Visitors can freely explore and learn about the cultivation and care of characteristic plants such as tomatoes, strawberries, and raspberries in a unique yet familiar green space.
Once a month, an organic produce fair is held at Green Box, attracting participation from numerous farms. The idea for this fair originated from a group of young foreigners and was wholeheartedly supported by Mr. Duong. These new-generation farmers come here with respect and a thirst for learning.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Hanh, the owner of a small stall at the fair, said:This place is great for everyone. We come here not only to sell our products but also to socialize and learn from everyone, including Mr. Duong...
Leonie Hofsaess from Bees 4 Life shared:Mr. Duong is one of the most renowned farmers in this city, so we met with him and agreed on the idea for the fair, wanting to support small-scale organic farmers – people who are very concerned about the environment and human health… Everything went very well, and he provided this location for the fair.
He acquired that open-minded and sharing spirit from learning from those who came before him, those who guided him in his early steps. Today, as an experienced "veteran farmer," he wants to pass it on to the younger generation, those who practice agriculture with integrity."I consider myself a pioneer, and I want Vietnamese agriculture to develop, so I'm willing to share my experiences and valuable lessons with everyone, for the sake of a sustainable and in-depth Vietnamese agriculture."
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Driven by his love for the land of a thousand flowers and his aspiration for a modern and sustainable agricultural system, Mr. Tran Huy Duong created Lang Biang Farm with his own unique touches, enhancing the image of the people of Nghe An province in all corners of the world.
