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AHLĐ Trần Mạnh Báo talks about new farmers at the influential Vietnamese forum held in Paris (France) in 2019. Photo: ThaiBinh Seed

More than 40 years ago, returning from the battlefield to his hometown, the 2/4th-class disabled veteran Tran Manh Bao worked at a pig farm, then became a handyman at Thai Binh Seed Company. With a passion for farming, the young man made constant efforts in working, studying and later researching dozens of new rice varieties with high productivity and quality. From a handyman, disabled veteran Tran Manh Bao became a farmer scientist and one of three exceptionally outstanding entrepreneurs in high-tech agriculture who were awarded the title of Labor Hero in the renovation period at the 10th National Patriotic Emulation Congress in 2020.

Over the past half century, with systematic, scientific investment and a focus on developing new plant varieties, businessman Tran Manh Bao has turned ThaiBinh Seed into the leading high-quality rice seed producer in Vietnam.

ThaiBinh Seed has successfully researched, selected and recognized 28 national crop varieties such as TBR97, TBR225, BC15, Dong A1, TBR89, A Sao, Thai Xuyen 111 Phuc Thai 168, QL301, hybrid glutinous corn TBM18... In particular, Mr. Bao and the ThaiBinh Seed team have successfully researched the hybrid corn TBM18, transferred blast resistance genes to the rice variety BC15, transferred bacterial leaf resistance genes to the rice variety TBR225..., contributing significantly to the process of innovating the crop and season structure in Vietnamese agriculture.

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Photo: ThaiBinh Seed

According to the company's announcement, ThaiBinh Seed's rice varieties are present in all 56 provinces and cities, and farmers using ThaiBinh Seed's rice varieties account for 20% of the agricultural production area in the country (in 2022). ThaiBinh Seed has more than 70 production linkage points with a total area of ​​8,000 hectares/year. Each year, the company sells nearly 30,000 tons of products to farmers, bringing in an income of 50 - 60 billion VND/year for the linked units, of which many rice-producing households have an income of over 100 million VND/ha/year.

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Photo: ThaiBinh Seed

Affirming that science, technology and agriculture must go hand in hand to create superior plant varieties that bring the best results, Mr. Bao established the Plant Research Institute at ThaiBinh Seed with a scale of 152 hectares. Every year, ThaiBinh Seed invests tens of billions of VND in researching and testing various rice varieties and implementing many large state-level scientific topics and projects.

Along with that, ThaiBinh Seed has built 2 seed processing factories with a capacity of 40,000 tons of seeds/year. In 2025, ThaiBinh Seed plans to start construction of the largest and most modern rice processing factory in the Red River Delta, a factory with an expected capacity of 50,000 tons/year, with a closed process from seed selection, planting, to harvesting, processing, packaging and storage.

In 2022, ThaiBinh Seed inaugurated a modern 15-storey office building combined with business and general commercial services with an investment capital of 200 billion VND, contributing to improving work efficiency, creating more jobs for many workers and creating an urban highlight for Thai Binh City.

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AHLĐ Tran Manh Bao received an honorary doctorate from Apollos University (USA). Photo: ThaiBinh Seed

During the process of growth and development, ThaiBinh Seed has achieved many outstanding achievements and been awarded many noble awards: Third-class Independence Medal, 12 labor medals of various types, Third-class Feat Medal, twice awarded the Government's emulation flag, three times awarded the flag and certificate of merit by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, five times awarded the Vietnam Quality Award and many other noble awards.

As an individual, Chairman of the Board of Directors Tran Manh Bao has been awarded the title of Hero of Labor in the Renovation Period in 2020, Top 60 Outstanding Vietnamese Entrepreneurs in 2022 and many other prestigious awards. Now at the age of 75, he continues to study tirelessly, in 2023, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Apollos University (USA) and a Master of Business Administration from the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture.

Ngoc Minh