9x guy turns low-lying fields into billion-dollar lotus gardens

Panorama of Mr. Vu Thanh Toan's lotus garden

Having loved lotus since childhood, having spent time in the army, then studying at the Maritime College and doing many different jobs, but 2019 was a big turning point in Toan's life. When he realized that many low-lying fields in his hometown were abandoned due to ineffective rice cultivation, he decided to rent fields in Van Xuan commune to grow ornamental lotus. Initially, he borrowed 4,000 m² of land to test planting 1,000 ornamental lotus pots, selling both lotus seeds and potted plants. Seeing the economic efficiency, since then, he has boldly expanded the scale to 2 hectares with tens of thousands of lotus pots including more than 100 different lotus varieties.

Miniature lotus plants grown in pots are popular with customers.

Mr. Toan's lotus garden attracts many customers from inside and outside the province to come to buy, visit, and take pictures.

Unlike regular lotus ponds, Toan’s “dry lotus pond” model focuses on growing lotus in pots. He shared: Growing lotus in pots is more difficult because the pots are prone to drying out and are poor in nutrients, so it requires careful watering, fertilizing, and pruning. But in return, visitors to the garden can both admire the flowers and buy beautiful lotus pots to take home, not just strolling around like in traditional lotus ponds.

At this time, lotus flowers are competing to show off their colors...

In the garden filled with pink, white, yellow... of lotus varieties such as mini lotus, thousand-petal lotus, super lotus..., Mr. Toan also invested in lotus and water lily ponds, built bamboo bridges, miniature landscapes and a lotus tea area to serve tourists to visit, take photos and experience. Thanks to its convenient location, Vu Toan lotus garden has become a check-in point attracting tourists from inside and outside the province.

Mr. Toan harvests lotus roots to make lotus root tea and lotus root starch products.

Not only growing and selling ornamental lotus, Mr. Toan also develops a series of lotus products to serve the market all year round. Currently, he has launched many products such as lotus root starch, lotus tea, lotus leaf tea, lotus root tea, etc. Of which, two products Vu Toan lotus root starch and Vu Toan lotus tea have been recognized as meeting 3-star OCOP standards.

Without waiting for traders or depending on traditional markets, Toan soon brought his agricultural products to social networks and e-commerce platforms. He filmed videos , took photos, and wrote articles introducing the lotus care process and the uses of each product himself, and he has built a stable customer base across the country. Through direct interaction and consultation, he not only sells products but also better understands the needs and tastes of consumers to adjust product designs and types more flexibly.

Mr. Toan personally films, introduces and sells his products on social networks.

In 2020, he established Vu Toan Lotus Garden Company Limited, expanding production and developing the lotus brand of the rice fields. From a farmer attached to the fields, Mr. Toan gradually turned ornamental lotus, a product that was thought to be just for viewing, into a high-value commodity, associated with eco-tourism and organic agriculture . From this model, Mr. Toan earned billions of dong in income each year, after deducting expenses, the profit was over 300 million dong.

With the desire to get rich from his homeland, Mr. Vu Thanh Toan has not only successfully created an effective lotus model, but also opened up a new direction for agriculture associated with tourism and digital commerce. His journey is a living testament to the spirit of daring to think, daring to do and constantly innovating of today's rural youth.

Huong Giang

Source: https://baohungyen.vn/chang-trai-9x-bien-ruong-chiem-trung-thanh-vuon-sen-tien-ty-3182486.html