Young people sowing knowledge on the green fields

Leaving the city for the countryside

Amid the first chilly winds of early winter, the Moc Chau plateau of Son La stretches in a vast green of tea hills. On this land, undergoing transformation thanks to agriculture, more and more young people choose to leave the city for their hometowns and build the economic foundation for their families.

Among them is Phung Van Kha, born in 1998, who grew up in Co Do Ward of the former Moc Chau State Farm, now Thao Nguyen Ward. His parents used to be workers at a tea factory, giving them a stable income, and the family managed to save enough to buy a garden plot next to their house. He remembers the days roaming with his father to tend the plum garden behind the house. From those memories, a love for agriculture was nurtured in the young man’s mind.

Graduating as a Plant Protection engineer from Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, he was an excellent student and invited to stay as a teaching assistant. Yet Kha chose to return home, surprising many neighbors.

"In 2021, I chose to return home to do agriculture simply because I loved it and wanted to apply the techniques I had learned to develop the area where my family lives. When I came back, I realized people were farming based on instinct, doing whatever they knew without applying any standard techniques or procedures. I thought, if we do not change, agriculture will always struggle and depend on the weather", Kha said.

He chose Canh orange, tomatoes, and cabbage to grow off-season because they suit local weather conditions and offer better selling prices than main-season crops. He decided to convert 2 ha of old plum land to Canh oranges. He used 3,000 m² for tomatoes and vegetables in greenhouses, investing hundreds of millions of VND in seedlings, drip irrigation systems, fertilizers, and labor.

Young people working together

That was the beginning of the startup story of a young man originally from Hanoi. Perhaps what makes people admire him is not only his determination but also the fact that he is a co-founder of the Moc Chau Youth Cooperative, a name and story filled with inspiration for young people who dare to think and act.

In 2023, Kha became Deputy Secretary of the Youth Union of the former Co Do Sub-zone. Besides the Union’s regular duties, economic development was one of the key goals. During Union meetings, members from each group and village shared ideas for improving local economic development. Everyone hoped the Youth Union would not only be a political and social organization but also a united group that would create opportunities for young people to develop their mindsets, ethics, and economic capacity.

By October 2024, the Moc Chau Youth Cooperative was officially founded. Seven members participated, including Deputy Secretaries of the Youth Union at the former district and village level, working together to build a new production model in the region: high-tech agriculture linked with sustainable markets.

Trinh Viet Cuong, a member of the cooperative, said: "When the cooperative was established, we had legal status to work with processing companies and sign purchasing contracts for farmers. The most important thing is ensuring output for our members and supporting local farmers to stabilize production".

The cooperative now manages 16 ha of production land, including 10 ha of late-maturing plum and the rest for vegetables, tomatoes, and melons. All fields use mist irrigation and drip irrigation systems. "In the past, people relied on the weather. If it rained, they had good harvests; if there was drought, they lost everything. Now with technology, we control water, nutrients, and even the growth cycle", Cuong added.

Bringing knowledge to farmers

After only a few months of operation in 2024, the cooperative contracted more than 100 tons of vegetables for IC Food Son La Company Limited. The average purchase price for cabbage is VND 5,000-6,000 per kilogram. After purchasing, the vegetables are sent to the factory for packaging, labeling, and distribution to domestic and international markets.

Besides production, the cooperative has also become an open learning space for local residents. Members regularly organize training sessions on agricultural techniques and the safe use of plant protection products, and share experiences in greenhouse vegetable cultivation. They also sign purchasing contracts for participating households.

Trinh Viet Tuong, a resident of Mia Duong Group in the former Co Do Ward, now Thao Nguyen Ward, shared: "In the past, when growing main-season vegetables, we mostly sold to traders, and prices were unstable. Now that the cooperative is buying our products, I feel much more secure. Prices may not always be high but are stable year-round. They also provide proper technical guidance, soil care methods, seedlings, and quality fertilizers".

This year, the cooperative expects to harvest 500 tons of late-maturing plums and supply more than 1,000 tons of vegetables to processing enterprises. For households growing plums and oranges, besides income from agricultural products, they also earn from tourists visiting orchards for sightseeing, photography, and fruit picking. On average, each household can earn hundreds of millions of VND during the Tet season.

For the cooperative members, this startup journey is not only an economic effort but also a way to repay their homeland. Amid the winds of the plateau, the sound of pumps blends with the cheerful laughter of enthusiastic, determined young people pursuing their dream of a green economy and clean, responsible agriculture.

The definition of "Youth Union" will be broadened. Young people in Moc Chau will work with each household and village to develop a collective economy with agriculture as the foundation.

* $1 = VND 26.378 - Source: Vietcombank.