FRUITFUL: The mandarins from his orchard are packaged and shipped to customers as far as the central province of Nghệ An in three days. Photo baobackan.com.vn

By Bích Phượng & Lương Hương

A farmer from Dương Phong Commune in the northern province of Bắc Kạn earns up to VNĐ200 million (US$8,200) per month by livestreaming agricultural products on his social networks.

Lường Quang Đại, 33, an ethnic Tày man, might look nothing like a hot TikToker with his modest rustic appearance, but his channel has over 425,000 followers and 8 million likes.

His channel, Đại Bắc Kạn, features short videos about his family’s daily lives and the specialities of the northern mountainous region.

During bamboo shoot harvesting season, he goes searching for bamboo shoots and prepares stir-fried dishes and soup. On sunny days, he might film himself catching crabs and grilling them on the spot.

In another video, he takes his followers into the forest, teaching them how to drink water from leaves and enjoy delicious wild fruits. His videos have received numerous comments and millions of views.

"Your videos have given me positive energy to overcome the toughest moments in my life”, “I have cried, felt empathy, and experienced happiness through watching your lives” or “Gentle, sophisticated, and authentic, if you continue in this direction of storytelling, you will definitely sell a lot” are some of the comments on Đại’s videos.

HAPPY FAMILIES: Đại's family has been honoured by the Việt Nam Youth Union for their efforts in building a prosperous, happy, and progressive life. Photo baobackan.com.vn

Before becoming a TikToker, Đại used to travel and take up various jobs to make ends meet. After getting married in 2013, he decided to settle in his homeland. The everyday life of a farmer in the forests, mountains and paddy fields has nurtured his love, passion and pride.

"I started to learn about TikTok in early 2022 and saw users sharing interesting content about various regions. I came up with the idea of making similar videos about rural life in the mountainous regions,” Đại said.

“It was challenging at first. I had to surf the web to learn about filming, editing, and merging to create short videos. Then, I figured out how to add music and how to convey the message I wanted to deliver to viewers.

“It took me a while, but after a few short clips, I received positive feedback and I felt excited and motivated to continue.”

RUSTIC INFLUENCER: Đại is a farmer-TikToker with over 425,000 followers. Photo baobackan.com.vn

In the early days, Đại only had a cheap smartphone with low storage capacity. Having no assistant, he would plug his phone into a tree stump, film himself, and speak alone. Many times, the frame wasn't aligned correctly, so he had to redo the shots.

"My first videos were filmed in the forest because I was afraid that other villagers would think I looked weird," he said.

After a video showcasing his family’s mandarin orchard was released at the end of 2022, many viewers commented on their wish to buy the fruit, which inspired the ethnic farmer to start selling agricultural produce on Facebook.

The mandarins from his orchard were packaged and shipped to customers as far as the central province of Nghệ An within three days, while the fruit was still fresh and delicious.

Đại has even helped his neighbours in the commune to sell their products via live-streaming.

In April 2023, he was invited to participate in a training programme for selling farm products, organised by TikTok in collaboration with the local government. He was supported in setting up an online store and joined a community of farm produce sellers on the digital platform.

With a popular and well-established channel, Đại's initial livestream sessions attracted several hundred viewers. Food specialities of his homeland, such as handmade vermicelli, dried bamboo shoots and herbal tea, are in high demand among the viewers.

One of his videos selling Jiaogulan tea went viral even before the live session, attracting over 1,000 viewers.

“After 40 minutes, I had to end the livestream abruptly because we ran out of goods to sell,” Đại said.

"Previously, my wife and I worked hard, earning a maximum of VNĐ200 million per year. But now, through online sales, we can make VNĐ150-200 million a month.”

The TikToker and his wife have established a cooperative to sell agricultural products from their community, with the goal of promoting Bắc Kạn's specialities to a wider market. The cooperative now employs three full-time workers and 10 seasonal workers.

With their new sales approach, the family no longer has to worry about finding markets for their products like before.

According to Hoàng Thị Hạ, deputy secretary of the Youth Union of Bạch Thông District, Đại and his wife are among the exemplary young individuals in the commune who have applied digital transformation in the marketing of farm produce.

Not only an example of overcoming poverty and innovating in agriculture, Đại also wishes to give back to the community and help those in need. He has purchased a car and gives poor patients a free ride to local clinics.

Đại has been honoured recently as one of the 10 outstanding young people in Bắc Kạn Province for his remarkable achievements in digital transformation.

His family has also been given the Happy Young Family title by the Việt Nam Youth Union for their efforts in building a prosperous, happy, and progressive life. VNS