Do Van Chien (second from right), residing in Thinh Minh commune (Hoa Binh City), introduces Chien Tho vermicelli, a 3-star OCOP product.
Successfully building Chien Tho vermicelli brand
Chien shared: "In the past, people in Bu Cham hamlet mainly grew cassava and arrowroot. However, in the harvest season, the chorus of "good harvest but devaluation” kept clinging to local residents. So traders’ purchase of arrowroot at a cheap price urged me to learn from experience in processing cassava starch and arrowroot in Hoai Duc district (Hanoi). With the desire to remove difficulties in the sale of agricultural products for local people, I fearlessly borrowed 300 million VND from the bank to buy a machine for processing cassava starch and arrowroot. When making vermicelli, I always keep in mind that I have to make clean products, without preservatives, to ensure safety for consumers’ health. Therefore, the production process of vermicelli is strictly controlled from the stage of purchasing raw materials."
Each year, Chien’s facility processes about 2,000 tonnes of fresh cassava and arrowroot, and produces 110-120 tonnes of finished products. In 2019, with the support of administrations at all levels and sectors in completing documents and standardising product standards, Chien Tho vermicelli was recognized as a 3-star OCOP product by the provincial People's Committee. This helps Chien Tho vermicelli brand popular among consumers. Some of its main markets are Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Vinh Phuc and Phu Tho provinces. To serve the Lunar New Year, from September, workers have to work hard, with the aim of producing about 1 tonne of finished vermicelli a day on average.
Double benefits from growing Solanum trilobatum under grapefruit canopy
As the Secretary of the Party cell and a member of the Farmers’ Association of Thinh Minh commune, Chien has encouraged local farmers to renovate miscellaneous gardens and agricultural land to grow plants with high economic values. After solving the problem of selling arrowroot for local people, Chien tried to combine the plantation of Solanum trilobatum under grapefruit canopy.
Chien owns 7 hectares of Dien and red-flesh grapefruit with about 4,000 trees. When grapefruit trees are small, it is very expensive to hire labourers for weeding. Therefore, he decided to plant Solanum trilobatum under the canopy of grapefruit trees, to keep soil moist and without spending much effort on weeding. After three months, Solanum trilobatum grows well. One crop can last 6-10 years, with the output of 10 tonnes a year. Meanwhile, one hectare of grapefruit is harvested 3-4 times a year, and the selling price is 40,000 VND a kilogramme. Therefore, he can earn about 400 million VND each hectare.
Seeing that the profits from growing Solanum trilobatum are high, and it is easy to sell, residents in the hamlet come to learn from his experience. Up to now, the hamlet has 15 hectares of Solanum trilobatum. Chien has then purchased all Solanum trilobatum, semi-processed and packaged for companies to purchase. In addition, he plants 2 hectares of Thai jackfruit, 2 hectares of red turmeric, and 40 hectares of production forests. On average, every year, the profit is over 1 billion VND. He plans to expand the production scale of vermicelli, buy one more pre-processing machine and one dryer to improve the quality of Chien Tho vermicelli.
Nguyen Van Hung, Chairman of the Farmers Association of Thinh Minh commune, said: "Do Van Chien is a typical example in the movement of farmers emulating good production and business of Hoa Binh city. The economic model of his family has created jobs for 15 local workers, with an income of 6.5 to 8 million VND a person a month. He has received many certificates of merit from all levels in emulation movements, deserving to be one of 63 outstanding Vietnamese farmers"./.
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