Master of Sociology returns to his hometown and becomes wealthy through agriculture.

Having graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi) in 2013 and successfully defended her Master's thesis in 2018, while many other young people choose the capital city as their place of work, Duong Thuy Luong, born in 1993, chose to return to work in her hometown of Vo Nhai, Thai Nguyen.

The young master's graduate returns to her hometown to start a business in clean agriculture.

Upon returning to her hometown to start a business, Luong participated in youth and children's activities, giving her the opportunity to travel to many localities in Thai Nguyen. Luong realized that La Hien commune, where she lives, has the potential to develop high-quality agriculture, with many successful vegetable and fruit farming models already yielding economic benefits. However, the production and business processes are not yet stable; all products must find their own markets, making these models unsustainable, and prices remain volatile. Faced with this situation, Duong Thuy Luong questioned how farmers could secure a stable market for their products to establish a sustainable foothold. Luong hopes that one day, farmers will have a guaranteed market for their products, allowing them to confidently develop their production.

Without hesitation, Luong began researching models of clean agricultural production and the market for these products. This research process helped Luong gather a great deal of new knowledge that she had never encountered before.

After graduating with a master's degree in Sociology, Luong boldly proposed to his parents and relatives the establishment of a cooperative specializing in clean agricultural products. In March 2019, the La Hien Clean Agricultural Products Cooperative was established with 7 members and a charter capital of 200 million VND, with Luong serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director.

Duong Thuy Luong's aspiration when establishing the clean agricultural products cooperative was to link households producing clean and safe agricultural products. According to the plan, initially, the products will meet the consumption needs of the people in the commune, and then expand to larger markets.

With the knowledge gained from studying clean agricultural production models, Luong focuses on cultivating various types of mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, and brown truffles, as well as beekeeping for honey production and growing custard apples according to VietGAP standards.

Using capital from the cooperative, Luong and other members built a mushroom cultivation workshop covering over 150 square meters at a total cost of over 100 million VND. In addition, Luong also replanned a 1-hectare custard apple orchard and strengthened and developed over 300 beehives.

Thanks to their high quality and guaranteed safety standards, the products of La Hien Cooperative are purchased by Phu Gia Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (Hung Son town, Dai Tu district). In 2019, the Cooperative achieved revenue of over 500 million VND with a production of 4 tons of dried wood ear mushrooms, 100 kg of shiitake mushrooms, 100 kg of oyster mushrooms, and 1,000 liters of honey.

Other products such as custard apples and honey are sold in the provincial market and some stores in Hanoi. In addition to generating high revenue, the cooperative provides regular employment for more than 10 local workers with an income of 4-5 million VND per person per month.

Not only does Duong Thuy Luong aspire to become wealthy herself, but she also wants to help local farmers prosper. In early 2020, Duong Thuy Luong provided seeds and technical training on planting and caring for chili peppers to 15 farmers in her commune and several hamlets of Khe Mo commune (Dong Hy district), covering a total area of ​​2 hectares.

Luong signed a commitment to purchase all the produce grown by these farmers. It is estimated that each plot of chili peppers yields an income five times higher than growing rice, approximately over 20 million VND.

Duong Thuy Luong said that in the future, she will continue to grow more reishi mushrooms, expand the area for custard apple cultivation, and increase the number of beehives to 400.

At the same time, the program will expand the supply of seeds, scientific and technical knowledge, and product purchasing agreements for nearly 50 households growing chili peppers, covering an area of ​​approximately 5 hectares.

With her boldness and willingness to take risks, Duong Thuy Luong was recently honored as one of 43 outstanding young people recognized at the "Youth Following Uncle Ho's Teachings" festival in 2020, organized by the Thai Nguyen Provincial Youth Union.