The story of getting rich of farmer San Y Senh

Farmer San Y Senh, a Nung ethnic, is a typical example in the movement of good farmers in production and business in Ninh Thuan province. He strives to overcome difficulties and become rich in the sunny and windy land of My Son commune, Ninh Son district. He was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit from the President of the Vietnam Farmers' Association for his outstanding achievements in the movement "Farmers compete in good production and business, unite to help each other get rich and reduce poverty sustainably." Mu Cang Chai is a particularly difficult area in Yen Bai province. In recent years, the Party Committee and authorities of Mu Cang Chai district have paid attention, devoted many resources, mobilized the cooperation of the whole society and the internal strength of local people to build new rural areas. Thanks to that, Mu Cang Chai has now moved from a "white" district to a new countryside. Attending the ceremony to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Vietnam Militia and Self-Defense Force's Tradition Day (March 28, 1935 - March 28, 2025) and receiving the Ho Chi Minh Medal, on the afternoon of March 26, in Hanoi, organized by the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense, President Luong Cuong affirmed that the Militia and Self-Defense Force is always a force with an extremely important strategic position and is the most suitable form of organization to implement the policy of all-people national defense and people's war. On the afternoon of March 26, at the National Assembly House, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Farmer San Y Senh, a Nung ethnic group, is a typical example in the movement of good farmers and businessmen in Ninh Thuan province. He strives to overcome difficulties and become rich on the sunny and windy land of My Son commune, Ninh Son district. He was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit from the President of the Vietnam Farmers' Association for his outstanding achievements in the movement "Farmers compete in production, good business, solidarity to help each other get rich and reduce poverty sustainably." 75 years old, more than 20 years in the position of village elder, nearly 10 years as a prestigious person, elder A Chieu, Khuc Na village, Sa Binh commune, Sa Thay district (Kon Tum) is like a "tall tree, big shade" protecting the villagers, helping the villagers do a good job of preserving culture, developing production, building a prosperous and comfortable life. On March 26, the People's Committee of Dak Na commune, Tu Mo Rong district (Kon Tum) coordinated with the Commune Police to organize a "Conference to identify tricks to deceive ethnic minorities (DTTS) to go to Cambodia to do "easy work, high salary". Under the witness of the village elder, prestigious person and people in 12 villages of Xo Dang people in Dak Na commune, Mr. A Kun and A Nhanh, 2 victims of the trap "easy job, high salary" has voluntarily shared the story of being scammed, the hellish life on earth in a foreign land, with the hope that people will be alert to the scams of bad guys. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has just signed Decision No. 664/QD-TTg dated March 25, 2025 to strengthen the Central Emulation and Reward Council. General news of the Ethnic and Development Newspaper. The morning news on March 25, there is the following notable information: Quang Nam issues land support policies for ethnic minorities. Vietnam's ancient cathedral has new tiles. Voluntarily asking to leave poverty, farmers rise to become billionaires. Along with other news in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. In recent times, together with functional units stationed in the area, the Border Guard (BĐBP) of An Giang province has paid special attention to strengthening the work of mobilizing the masses, propagating, disseminating and educating the law (PBGDPL) in the border areas. Thereby, raising the sense of revolutionary vigilance for ethnic minorities and religious people; joining hands with the BĐBP, Party committees and local authorities to build a strong border... On the afternoon of March 26, at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Comrade Pham Minh Chinh, Politburo member, Prime Minister, Deputy Head of the Central Steering Committee for Science and Technology Development, Innovation and Digital Transformation, attended the launching ceremony of the movement and the launch of the "Digital Popular Education" platform. The Bai Dinh pagoda stupa is one of the important highlights of the Bai Dinh pagoda complex, located in Ninh Binh province. This is the tallest stupa in Vietnam with a unique, massive architecture imbued with Buddhism. The Drug Crime Investigation Police Department (Ministry of Public Security) coordinated with professional units to destroy the largest drug production line ever, seizing 1.4 tons of ketamine with very high purity and 80 tons of chemicals... According to information from the Organizing Committee of Phu Day Festival (Vu Ban district, Nam Dinh province), this year's festival will open on the evening of March 31. The festival will take place for 6 days, from March 31 to April 5, 2025.

Mr. San Y Senh with his garden of tram trees actively uses water-saving sprinklers.

Overcome difficulties to become rich

Ms. Thai Thi Ngoc Bich, President of the Farmers' Association of My Son Commune, enthusiastically led us to visit the private home of farmer San Y Senh in Phu Thuy village, along National Highway 27 Phan Rang - Da Lat. Talking to us in the cool green garden space shaded by huynh dan trees interspersed with ginseng trees, Mr. Senh happily told us about his journey to start a business. On the left of the house is a gas station owned by him, named Cuong Phat, bustling with motorbikes and cars coming in and out to refuel. His gas station is contracted by Petrolimex Group to supply gasoline and is a franchise.

Standing next to his new car, farmer San Y Senh excitedly said that he comes from a poor farming family. His parents are poor households with a certificate in My Son commune. Not willing to live in poverty, he is determined to do business with the desire to become rich from the potential and advantages of local crops and livestock.

Mr. San Y Senh took us to visit his family's farm about seven kilometers north of his house, in Nha Hui village. We were overwhelmed by the 3-hectare garden with thousands of 20-year-old tram trees in the latex season and 3 hectares of land with over 5,000 10-year-old huynh dan trees, 10-15 cm in diameter, worth billions of dong.

Mr. San Y Senh harvests tragacanth gum at a farm in My Son commune.

Sitting in the middle of a hut with the mountain breeze and the scent of the forest in the early morning of late March, Mr. Senh said that he grew up in a poor farming family with many siblings. His parents raised ten children, not enough food to eat, not enough clothes to wear, having to make ends meet. After finishing the fifth grade at My Son Primary School, his poor family could not afford to send him to the sixth grade, so he had to drop out of school to stay home and help his parents with the farm work.

Journey of starting a business from scratch

In 1981, when he was just 15 years old, San Y Senh started his business with the determination to escape poverty. Every day, he carried a machete on bare feet, brought a handful of rice mixed with potatoes, and walked 7 km from his home to Nha Hui to reclaim land. At that time, Nha Hui was a forest land with many wild bushes, a habitat for many species of pythons and snakes. With the strength of a young Nung ethnic man in his growing years, he reclaimed land and planted corn and beans to earn a living. For 3 years, his machete was forged many times. Thanks to his perseverance, he reclaimed nearly 7 hectares of arable land, planting one crop of short-term crops such as corn and beans each year.

Mr. San Y Senh with his newborn lambs at the farm in My Son commune.

Realizing that farming depended on rainwater was too precarious, in mid-1990, he saved up his capital to dig a 5-meter deep well near Sa Ra stream, and installed a D15 pump to irrigate the cultivated land. Taking the initiative in irrigation water sources, investing in fertilizers, and taking good care of them, he planted 3 sao of chili intercropped with papaya, with lush green fruit trees. Thanks to the chili crop's good harvest and good prices, he had more capital to start a livestock farming business.

Starting with 4 female goats and 1 male goat, after only 4 years, the herd increased to 20 goats. Continuing to grow chili combined with papaya for high income, he expanded the barn, bought 50 more sheep to raise in a semi-intensive way. His family's herd of goats and sheep gradually increased, at one point reaching nearly 500, of which the herd had over 200 sheep, over 200 goats, and 70 cows. From 2001 to 2003, each goat and female sheep with a beautiful body was priced at 5-7 million VND/head, equivalent to 1 tael of gold.

Mr. San Y Senh with his family's gas station in My Son commune.

Thanks to the good quality of the breeding stock, traders from all over came to buy. In mid-2004, he sold some of his goats, sheep and cows, earning over 3 billion VND, and invested in buying land to open a gas station called “Cuong Phat”. This is the largest gas station in My Son commune, supplying over 1,000 liters per day, creating regular jobs for 4 workers with a stable income of 5 million VND/month. He is willing to help the villagers who are in difficulty, sharing his business experience to help them escape poverty.

His family's herd of goats and sheep currently has over 200, creating jobs for the family with 3 workers taking care of them. He sells male sheep weighing an average of 15 kg to farmers in the area for 150,000 VND/kg. The tram garden with over 5,000 trees can be developed into an eco-tourism area, yielding an average of 100 kg of latex/day, selling for 30,000 VND/kg. The huynh dan garden has over 5,000 trees after 15-20 years, traders buy at the garden for 10-20 million VND/tree.

Mr. San Y Senh next to his Toyota, the family's means of transportation.

Despite achieving the title of billionaire with an annual net profit of over 350 million VND, farmer San Y Senh is still simple, wearing plastic sandals, driving a new Toyota to negotiate business. Seeing his parents poor because of many children, he and his wife only had two children, San A Cuong and San A Phat, both of whom graduated from university and have stable jobs.

“First is the determination to overcome difficulties and work hard. Second is to ensure credibility with everyone, ensure product quality, and words must match actions. Third, husband and wife must agree to work together. Fourth is thanks to luck in business, good crops, good prices for goats and sheep. Fifth is thanks to the State's many policies to support ethnic minorities to escape poverty sustainably,” farmer San Y Senh shared with a hearty laugh at noon, when the hills echoed with the sound of sheep returning to the pen.

Mr. San Y Senh with Certificate of Merit from the President of Vietnam Farmers' Union.

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Source: https://baodantoc.vn/chuyen-lam-giau-cua-nong-dan-san-y-senh-1742959062693.htm