Trần Văn Hảo with the seed drill, his first startup product which helps many farmers. — VNA/VNS Photo

ĐẮK LẮK — Born and raised in a purely agricultural area, Trần Văn Hảo in Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) province of Đắk Lắk understands the hardship and challenges faced by local farmers.

Driven by passion, the 34 year old has explored and invented various machines to aid agricultural production in order to help his family.

As the seventh child in a family of nine siblings, from a young age, Hảo understood the difficulties his parents faced in raising and educating their children.

Throughout his 12 years of schooling, Hảo tinkered with designing and creating model airplanes, cars and other toys.

This childhood passion led him to pursue a degree in Automotive Engineering Technology at the Industrial University of HCM City, after high school.

After graduation, Hảo worked in HCM City for three years, enjoying a stable income. However, during his visits home, he felt deeply troubled seeing his parents and other farmers working strenuously in the fields.

“They invested much effort for low returns, often facing labour shortages,” Hảo said.

“My parents' sweat and toil motivated me to invent machinery and equipment to provide support,” he said.

In 2015, Hảo decided to return to his hometown in Krông Búk Commune of Krông Pắc District to start a business.

He rented land to open a small mechanical workshop and began experimenting with designing a multi-purpose seed-sowing machine.

In the first year of his start-up journey, he faced many challenges, continuously having to adjust and improve the product.

After numerous efforts, he successfully created his first multi-purpose seed-sowing machine.

“I had a solid foundation from my university education and was fortunate to have my parents' support and encouragement, so I persevered, unafraid of failure,” Hảo said.

“My philosophy is to see things through once I am committed – never giving up.

“Additionally, living in an agricultural region allowed me to test the machinery directly in the fields, making adjustments to perfect them.”

Today nearly ten years after leaving the city for the countryside, Hảo manages a 3,000sq.m workshop with various types of agricultural machinery, including multi-purpose seed-sowing machines, agricultural dryers, food processing machines, slicers, grass choppers, root washers and turmeric starch production machines.

The prices for these machines range from VNĐ1.5 million to VNĐ40 million (US$60-1,600) and his workshop now produces approximately 1,500 machines per year, generating over VNĐ3 billion ($120,000) in revenue.

His customer base is relatively stable, spanning from the North to the South of Việt Nam.

Nguyễn Văn Trọng, a resident of Ea Kuăng Commune of Krông Pắc District, has been a long-time customer of Hảo. Trọng has two hectares of corn and bean fields, for which he often struggled to find labour.

After learning about Hảo’s workshop, Trọng’s family purchased a hand-operated seed-sowing machine, followed by a multi-purpose seeder.

Previously, 4,000sq.m of land required about six workers, but now, with the machine, the work can be done in just three hours, Trọng said.

Additionally, the machine helps create straight rows, reduces weeds and allows for simultaneous fertiliser application. During idle farming periods, he even rents out the machine to assist other farmers, he added.

Phạm Đình Phùng's family, from Minh Hợp Commune of Quy Hợp District in central Nghệ An Province, is also Hảo's customer, buying three multi-purpose seed-sowing systems from the workshop.

According to the farmer, the machines designed by Hảo have many advantages and are suited to the terrain of Việt Nam's fields and hills, are easy to operate, along with being reasonably priced.

Moreover, the multi-purpose seeders can plant up to ten hectares of silage corn per day, significantly reducing production costs and boosting economic efficiency, enabling his family to recover the investment quickly, Phùng said.

What impresses customers the most is Hảo’s enthusiasm, always willing to guide and support whenever needed.

Additionally, Hảo listens to customer feedback to continuously improve and perfect his machinery, maintaining credibility to retain long-term customers.

Aspiring to modernise rural areas

Multi-purpose seeding machine by Trần Văn Hảo is used in agriculture. — VNA/VNS Photo

Located 43km from Buôn Ma Thuột City, Hảo’s mechanical workshop also provides regular employment for eight local workers, with salaries ranging from VNĐ8 million to VNĐ15 million ($320-600) per month, depending on their skill level.

Most of the workers have been with the workshop for many years, having been trained in mechanics and kept up to date with new machinery technologies by Hảo.

Y Nghìn Niê, a resident of Krăi A Hamlet of Krông Búk Commune, has worked at Tân Hoàn Hảo for four years.

Y Nghìn said that his family has a little agricultural land and his salary of nearly VNĐ9 million ($360) per month is the main source of income, as his wife does not have a stable job.

He has learned much from Hảo, whom he describes as skilled and friendly, creating an open working environment.

With a desire to modernise rural areas, Hảo continues to innovate and create new agricultural machinery.

Recently, he has developed a grass-cutting machine for durian and coffee gardens, that helps to finely chop grass to create an organic mulch layer, retaining soil moisture without the need for much labour.

“In the future, I hope to access preferential loan sources and support programmes from the Farmers' Union and Youth Union to research new products and expand the workshop. Additionally, I hope the local government can support me by promoting the products widely, especially on e-commerce platforms,” Hảo said.

With an inventory of over ten types of machines, ranging from hand-operated to motorised, Hảo’s proudest product remains the seed-sowing machine.

“This is the product that accompanied me through difficult times and has borne 'sweet fruits' helping many farming households improve their economic situation,” Hảo said.

This product has also won two second-place awards at the Đắk Lắk Provincial Technical Innovation Competition in 2019 and 2021, along with several other provincial awards.

According to Bùi Quang Hợp, president of the Farmers' Union in Krông Búk Commune, despite being a young member busy with production and business, Hảo is always active and enthusiastic in participating in village and commune activities, contributing to the Farmers' Support Fund and the new rural development movement.

Notably, Hảo offers interest-free loans to members in difficult situations and donates machines to the Farmers' Association to be used rotationally by members for cultivation.

“What stands out about Hảo is his friendly, humble and honest nature, always ready to share his knowledge with fellow farmers,” Hợp said.

The Farmers' Union in Krông Búk Commune has consistently supported and promoted the Tân Hoàn Hảo mechanical workshop, showcasing its products at major local events, including the district’s Durian Festival.

Hảo has inspired many young people in the area to actively learn, research and engage in productive labour.

He is a standout farmer of Đắk Lắk Province, officially honoured as an 'Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer' in 2024.

Being the first person from the commune to receive this title, he has brought pride to Krông Búk Commune and has contributed to advancing the movement for excellent farming production and business in the region. — VNS