Vũ Xuân Dương (left) regularly visits local farmers to share dairy farming experience. VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Thảo

PHÚ THỌ — For Dr Vũ Xuân Dương of Hùng Vương University, agricultural research only matters if it leaves the lab and takes root in the fields. The lecturer at the Institute of Applied Research and Development believes it must be applied directly to production, boosting the value of farm products, raising farmers’ incomes and driving local agricultural development.

Guided by this conviction, Dương has devoted himself to agricultural research since joining the university’s Faculty of Agriculture in 2010. He saw the field as deeply connected to farmers’ lives, with research topics offering practical benefits. This passion drove him to pursue further study, conduct research and work directly with farming households, cooperatives and agribusinesses.

Since 2020, Dương and his colleagues have implemented five scientific research projects that put technology into practice, meeting the real-world needs of localities such as Vĩnh Phúc and Phú Thọ provinces.

One project particularly close to his heart was the study and development of a biotechnology-based model to enhance the value of fresh milk in Vĩnh Phúc between 2020 and 2022.

According to Dương, the former Vĩnh Thịnh commune in Vĩnh Tường district (now part of Vĩnh Phú commune, Phú Thọ province) is a major dairy production area, home to more than 14,000 cows producing nearly 100 tonnes of fresh milk daily. Despite this large output, the region had no local milk processing facilities. Most fresh milk was sold as raw material to outside companies, providing farmers with stable but modest income and leaving the local brand largely unknown to consumers

Born in Vĩnh Phúc, Dương long dreamed of bringing advanced technology home to process high-quality dairy products locally and create a reliable market for farmers. This ambition drove him to pursue the research project and seek partners for implementation.

During the project he worked closely with local authorities and helped connect investors to establish Vĩnh Thịnh Dairy Farming and Processing Joint Stock Company, the first dairy processing company in Vĩnh Tường District at the time.

The company was built with a designed capacity of 1,500–2,000 tonnes of products per year, modern infrastructure and production lines and ISO 22000:2018-compliant management processes. Today the company operates stably, purchasing milk from more than 20 local households, employing 12–15 workers and providing average monthly incomes of VNĐ7–12 million.

Trần Trung Thành, a farmer in Hoàng Xá Hamlet, Vĩnh Phú Commune, said his family raises 50 dairy cows producing about 500 litres of milk per day.

“We used to sell raw milk to collection companies for VNĐ12,000–15,000 per litre but the price kept fluctuating,” he said. “Since joining the supply chain model with Vĩnh Thịnh Dairy, we’ve had a stable purchase price of VNĐ15,000 per litre. The company also trains us in barn hygiene and animal care to ensure high-quality milk. After expenses, we now earn nearly VNĐ1 billion a year.”

General Director of Vĩnh Thịnh Dairy Nguyễn Tiến Lộc noted that all products are naturally fermented using a proprietary probiotic system, giving them a distinctive flavour.

In 2023 the company’s products, including pasteurised milk, Vĩnh Tường yogurt, black sticky rice yogurt and drinking yogurt were certified as 3-star OCOP products by the province. In early 2024 they were recognised as Outstanding Rural Industrial Products of the northern region.

Dương says he and the company are continuing to refine and improve production to develop new products that meet the market’s growing demand for variety.

Beyond dairy, Dương also consults for farmers and cooperatives in the region on value chain development, helping them improve yields, quality and market access.

His projects include supporting Đại Lải Agricultural Cooperative with safe vegetable production and marketing, Yên Bình Livestock and Agricultural Services Cooperative with biosecure poultry production and Ngọc Mỹ Dragon Fruit Cooperative with production and distribution of red-flesh dragon fruit.

Chairman of the Phú Thọ Farmers’ Association Hoàng Xuân Giao praised Dương as a dedicated young scientist who has worked hand in hand with farmers.

“His projects not only provide technical support but also help farmers shift their production mindset, adopt scientific advances systematically and increase the value of their products,” Giao said.

For his contributions, in August 2025 Dương was the only individual from Phú Thọ Province named by the Việt Nam Farmers’ Union as one of the country’s 32 scientists of the farmers for 2025. — VNS