We visited Mr. Nguyen Xuan Huyen's family lotus pond one afternoon in mid-March. The refreshing green color of the lotus pond, preparing for the season, seemed to dispel the sweltering heat of late spring.
Recounting his journey to cultivating white lotus, Mr. Huyen said: After completing his service in the People's Public Security and working in several unstable freelance jobs, in 2020, he returned to Phu Thien to help his family with farming and participate in local Youth Union activities. Thanks to traveling to many places and learning about many new economic models, he decided to utilize the available pond and garden area at his home to produce lotus.
Initially, he only planted 10 white lotus plants on an area of 250 square meters, costing nearly 2 million VND. Seeing the positive results, in early 2024, he expanded his cultivation by planting an additional 2 acres, covering three ponds around his house. “The type of lotus I grow is the white Thai lotus, also known as the Quan Am lotus. This species has many petals, blooms large, has a gentle fragrance, and lasts a long time, so it's very popular. Compared to raising fish, the cost of growing lotus is significantly lower, and the economic benefits are more stable,” Mr. Huyen said enthusiastically.
According to Mr. Huyen, to ensure lotus flowers bloom beautifully, retain their color, and bloom at the right time, growers must strictly adhere to the planting process and use appropriate pesticides. In addition, lotuses are water-loving plants, so he regularly builds sturdy pond embankments to retain water and adjust the water level accordingly. After 3 months of planting, the lotuses take root, their leaves cover the water surface, and they begin to bloom. White lotuses bloom year-round, and can be harvested every day. The harvesting period lasts about 4 months. Normally, he harvests about 600 flowers per month, but during peak season (from April to June), he can harvest up to 1,000 flowers.
Lotus flowers are ready for harvest when the buds are about the size of three fingers and undamaged. Each bud can stay fresh for two days. With a selling price of 5,000 VND per flower, his family earns approximately 9 million VND per month. During peak season, the white lotus blossoms cover the water's surface, creating a picturesque scene in the village.
“Growing lotus only requires an initial seed cost, and the care is negligible. We just need to check regularly, and if we find pests, we just spray once or twice and they're gone. When we were raising fish, my family invested a lot of effort and money but didn't earn much. Since growing lotus, although it hasn't brought in a high income yet, it's quite stable. From there, I can dedicate more time to my local Youth Union activities and cultivating my family's 5 hectares of rice and sugarcane,” said Mr. Huyen.
After nearly three years of cultivating white lotus flowers, Mr. Huyen has become a familiar supplier of lotus flowers to flower shops, wedding and funeral services, and even individual customers in neighboring districts such as Chu Se, Dak Doa, and Krong Pa. Previously, before he became well-known, he mainly sold lotus flowers through social media. Gradually, thanks to the quality of his flowers and his reputation, many flower shops have sought him out directly from his family's garden to purchase them.
Ms. Doan Thi Thuy, owner of Nha Dua flower shop (Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, Phu Thien town), said: “Previously, I used to import flowers from markets in Pleiku City, but since I learned that Mr. Huyen grows white lotus, I no longer need to travel far, which significantly saves on transportation costs. The flowers here are fresh, beautiful, round, and have very accurate colors. When needed, I just call and Mr. Huyen delivers the flowers right away.”
Besides his pioneering and successful efforts in cultivating white lotus, Mr. Huyen is also known as an outstanding Youth Union member, always actively participating in the Youth Union activities of his village and commune. In 2023, he and the Ia Ake commune team excellently won first prize at the Red Cross Propaganda Competition in Phu Thien district. In 2024, he and the youth union members of Tan Diep 1 village continued to win third prize in the competition on understanding laws related to ethnic affairs organized by the Provincial Ethnic Affairs Committee in coordination with relevant departments and agencies.
Furthermore, Mr. Huyen regularly donates a portion of the revenue from selling white lotus flowers to charitable activities in the village. He also actively collaborates with philanthropists to give gifts to students with good academic achievements and support disadvantaged families in the area.
Huyen shared: “Nearly five years of involvement in the Youth Union has given me many opportunities to participate in meaningful activities and contribute my youthful energy to society. At the same time, the Youth Union environment has helped me mature, accumulate more life experience, and develop economically.”
Mr. Rcom Su, Secretary of the Youth Union of Ia Ake Commune: “Mr. Nguyen Xuan Huyen is an outstanding Youth Union member who actively participates in movement activities. Utilizing ponds and lakes to cultivate white lotus is a new and effective economic model. Although the area is not large, it has initially brought a stable income, and is worth learning from and experimenting with.”
Sharing his future plans, Mr. Huyen said he will continue to expand the lotus cultivation area to increase production and meet the growing market demand. He also hopes that this new economic model can create jobs for local youth and provide additional income to contribute more to community activities.
Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/tang-thu-nhap-nho-trong-sen-trang-post315350.html
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