Revenue of 45 billion VND, profit of 20 billion VND, the best farmer in the country tells the story of getting rich

(Dan Tri) - Quickly adapting to the times and boldly investing, from a salt worker, worrying about his next meal, Mr. Nhu (in Ben Tre) switched to shrimp farming, rising to become a billionaire with an income of 45 billion VND/year.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Nhu (50 years old, residing in Bao Thanh commune, Ba Tri district, Ben Tre province) has just been honored by the Vietnam Farmers' Association as an outstanding farmer in 2024.

"Raising shrimp is not easy, sometimes it is even poorer than making salt"

Mr. Nhu is the owner of an 18-hectare high-tech shrimp farm. Last year, he harvested 400 tons of commercial shrimp, achieving a total revenue of 45 billion VND, a profit of more than 20 billion VND, becoming the most profitable farmer in the country.

Although he has become a billionaire, Mr. Nhu still retains his farmer nature, still working and harvesting shrimp with workers (Photo: Character provided).

However, Mr. Nhu said that his starting point was just a salt worker, worrying about his next meal. His family's life only improved when he took the risk and boldly destroyed the salt fields to build shrimp ponds.

The billionaire farmer said that as the youngest son, he inherited 2 hectares of salt fields left by his parents. The land is located right at the mouth of the Ba Lai River, low-lying, with difficult access, so it does not have much value.

At first, Mr. Nhu followed his parents' footsteps and continued making salt. But the salt business was low-income and unstable, and there were years when he didn't make enough to eat.

Mr. Nhu recalls that the 2000s were the most difficult time for salt production, with unfavorable weather conditions causing output to decrease and prices to fall. But that same crisis forced him to change.

"In 2010, because salt production was too difficult, I took a risk and destroyed part of the salt field to dig a shrimp pond. The first few years were very successful, so in 2014 I converted the entire 2 hectares of salt field into a shrimp pond," said Mr. Nhu.

Last year, Mr. Nhu sold about 400 tons of shrimp to the market, earning a profit of over 20 billion VND (Photo: NVCC).

However, when Mr. Nhu decided to go all in with shrimp, the challenges of shrimp farming came. Lack of knowledge, little experience, high risk of shrimp farming in earthen ponds, and diseases led to many shrimp crops being lost by Mr. Nhu.

"It's not easy at all. There are years when I have a good crop and then lose three crops. There are also times when I'm poorer because of shrimp farming than when I was making salt," said the farmer.

The farmer over 40 years old went to learn a trade.

But in the most difficult days, Mr. Nhu still believed that shrimp was the "bright door". Moreover, salt fields can be dug into shrimp ponds, but shrimp ponds cannot be turned into salt fields, forcing the farmer to continue investing to go the long way with shrimp.

To overcome the difficulties, Mr. Nhu was determined to study shrimp farming techniques when he was over 40 years old. In 2017, he began to gradually convert from earthen pond shrimp farming to tarpaulin pond farming, using many machines and applying multi-stage shrimp care techniques.

With the new technique, Mr. Nhu's shrimp pond is much more economically efficient, reducing the cost of food and medicine. The shrimp are almost disease-free, of high quality, and have a good price.

Mr. Nhu's farm is providing jobs for 18 workers (Photo: NVCC).

"When the shrimp pond is well covered, there is no more source of disease. Environmental indicators, water quality, and shrimp health are all monitored daily and can be intervened quickly. Thanks to that, the success rate of the crop is up to 95%," Mr. Nhu shared.

Previously, Mr. Nhu had to check the water color and measure the pH of the pond himself. But in recent years, the farmer has installed an automatic shrimp pond monitoring system and an automatic shrimp feeding system. Thanks to that, he no longer has to worry about the sun or rain, and Mr. Nhu can sit at home and still keep an eye on the entire farm.

From only 2 hectares of land at first, after consecutive successful shrimp crops, Mr. Nhu continuously bought more land and expanded the farm. The larger and more spacious the farm, the easier it is for him to apply new technology, negotiate better prices for shrimp feed and shrimp, and achieve higher economic efficiency.

Officials of the Farmers' Association of Bao Thanh commune said that Mr. Ut is a pioneer in Ba Tri district in building a high-tech shrimp farm.

Mr. Ut’s shrimp farm is providing jobs for 18 local workers, with a salary of 9 million VND/person/month. Every year, Mr. Ut also contributes a portion of his profits to local traffic construction activities, charity houses, and support for the poor.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/lao-dong-viec-lam/doanh-thu-45-ty-dong-lai-20-ty-nong-dan-gioi-nhat-nuoc-ke-chuyen-lam-giau-20241106014537043.htm