Nguyễn Thị Phương Bắc in her sturgeon pond. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Dũng

LÂM ĐỒNG — After working in a modern industrial zone in HCM City, then deciding to quit the job and work in a poor remote district, Nguyễn Thị Phương Bắc became a billionaire at the age of 40.

She has been chosen as one of 100 farmers for the title "Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer 2023".

Hard land

Đam Rông is the poorest district in Lâm Đồng Central Highlands Province.

Bắc fell in love with the land from a young age when she and her parents from Nghệ An central province settled there.

Like many other girls, after graduating from high school, Bắc packed her luggage and found a job as a garment worker, but after only two years she changed her path.

Returning to Rô Men Commune in Đam Rông District, every day she worked for local households to accumulate capital to start her own business.

After saving VNĐ1.2 million (US$49), Bắc started her entrepreneurial journey.

Realising that many local households grew coffee and agricultural products, Bắc came up with the idea of buying their coffee then selling it to agents.

Bắc spent time and effort on going to remote coffee farms to buy the coffee at cheaper prices, so she quickly accumulated a significant amount of capital.

She then expanded the scale of her coffee purchasing agency, while also providing more fertiliser for local people.

“After I had more capital, I bought more land and gardens to grow coffee and durian for my long-term plan,” Bắc said.

More than ten years later, Bắc’s property is among the best in Rô Men Commune.

Now, her family owns nine hectares of coffee grown with organic processes, yielding more than 20 tonnes of coffee per year.

On the coffee garden, Bắc intercrops nearly 500 durian trees and 1,000 pineapple plants, combined with growing grass to feed cattle.

In particular, she also uses two hectares to build a sturgeon farm, achieving an output of about 25 tons per year.

With the integrated economic model, her family earns a revenue of over VNĐ10 billion ($410,700) per year.

Tourism development

Even though Bắc has stable income from her garden, she continues to work and profit with a new economic model.

Bắc noticed that many people like to go to natural places to rest and recuperate, so she decided to set up a farm to grow herbs and develop tourism.

In 2021, Bắc and her husband started construction on a 12-hectare farm combined with tourism called "Rô Men Stream" in Village No 4.

The farm has good location with mountains, natural forests and cool streams flowing all year round, Bắc planted precious medicinal herbs and built rooms for tourists.

The farm is near completion and is expected to allow visitors to immerse themselves in wild nature, enjoying fresh fish, organic vegetables and local specialties such as sturgeon, durian and pineapple.

Bắc said that when finished, the farm would be a place to rest and relax for her family as well as tourists.

In particular, with on-site sources of herbs and agricultural products, tourists can comfortably recuperate, enjoying tourism products with sustainable and distinct values of Đam Rông District.

This new model of Bắc’s received an Encouragement Award by the Lâm Đồng Province Women's Union in the contest "Women's startups - creativity, connection" this year.

Nguyễn Văn Thành, secretary of the Party Committee and chairman of the Rô Men Commune People's Committee, said that Bắc’s tourist farm model was an innovation and a novelty in the local socio-economic development.

Bắc is a typical example in doing good business and creating jobs for dozens of workers in the commune.

Thành said that Bắc also actively participated in social and charity activities.

Typically, in 2021, she was awarded a certificate of merit by the Lâm Đồng Farmers' Association for her outstanding achievements in COVID-19 prevention and control.

She received a certificate of merit from the chairman of the Lâm Đồng People's Committee last year for her efforts in the campaign "Farmers emulate for good production and business, unite to help each other get rich." — VNS