Get rich from the wilderness

Flower growing model of Mr. Vu Tien Sy, in Tho Tan village, Te Thang commune (Nong Cong).

Before becoming a florist, Mr. Sy graduated from university with a major in mechanical engineering and opened his own shop in his hometown. However, the mechanical engineering profession was not easy to develop in his hometown, causing him to struggle to find a new direction. During a visit to relatives in Da Lat City (Lam Dong), Mr. Sy was suggested to switch to floriculture.

Determined to change, in 2017, Mr. Sy went to Da Lat city to study flower growing techniques and then returned to his hometown, starting a business on a field of more than 4 hectares that was barren and had low yield of rice.

Sharing about the early days of starting his business, Mr. Sy said that it was not an easy time. Due to lack of experience, he encountered many difficulties. Among them, the climate and soil were not favorable. The soil in his hometown was not as rich in nutrients as in Da Lat, while the climate in the North was harsher. This made the flowers susceptible to pests and diseases, and poor growth. In addition to soil and climate factors, investment capital was also a difficult problem. Initially, he only had a small amount of capital, while the cost of building greenhouses, irrigation systems and buying seeds was quite high. Then when the flower beds entered the harvest season, due to not having many relationships with traders, it was difficult to sell the products.

In the first two years, Mr. Sy continuously suffered losses, partly because the flowers were of poor quality and pests and diseases caused the plants to die en masse. There were times when he thought he would have to give up, but thanks to the encouragement of his family and friends, Mr. Sy continued to persevere in his career. Drawing on his experience, Mr. Sy researched and applied many modern techniques to flower growing, creating a difference from the traditional way. He focused on investing in using greenhouse and net house technology to control weather and pests. Thanks to that, the rate of healthy plant growth reached over 90%, much higher than the outdoor cultivation method. In addition, he installed an automatic drip irrigation system, which helps to provide water regularly without causing root rot. This system also helps save water and labor, especially important in the dry season.

To make the flowers bloom on time, Mr. Sy is also flexible in using lighting to adjust the blooming time. Thanks to this method, he can take the initiative in harvesting time, ensuring that the flowers always have the highest selling price. To reduce soil degradation, instead of overusing chemical fertilizers, he uses composted manure and biological products to improve the soil, helping the plants grow naturally and sustainably. This method helps improve the quality of the flowers, with thicker petals and longer lasting colors compared to those grown with conventional chemical fertilizers.

With the goal of expanding the output market, Mr. Sy has planned to develop through social networking platforms such as Facebook, Zalo, etc. Thanks to this strategy, he has connected with many customers from afar, no longer completely dependent on traders. "This year, thanks to favorable weather, flowers are both in season and at good prices. Since Tet, traders have come to me to place orders" - Mr. Sy said.

Present at the flower garden, Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, a trader who specializes in buying flowers from Mr. Sy's family, commented: "The chrysanthemums from Mr. Sy's garden have stable quality, beautiful colors and last longer than those from many other places. We often order because of the stable supply and reasonable prices. In particular, the flowers always bloom at the right time, meeting the market demand during holidays and Tet."

Mr. Tran Van Mau, Chairman of Te Thang Commune People's Committee, highly appreciated Mr. Sy's spirit of daring to think and daring to do. He is a testament to daring to change and daring to take on challenges to achieve success. From a mechanical engineering bachelor, he has persistently learned, improved techniques and built effective marketing strategies to get rich right on his homeland. This is not only a shining example for local youth but also opens up a new direction for many farming households who want to change their production model.

Article and photos: Dinh Giang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/lam-giau-tu-dong-hoang-244582.htm