Farmer with excellent achievements

Despite several failures, To Hien Thanh, Danh Thuong 2 village, Danh Thang commune (Hiep Hoa) is not discouraged. Thanks to his perseverance, trying to overcome all difficulties, he became the director of the first organic pig farming in Bac Giang with income more than ten billion VND (439,400 USD) per year. In 2017, he was honored in the program “Pride of Vietnamese farmers during 30 years of reform”. 

Some major products of the Cooperative.

The only organic pig farming in Bac Giang

From Thang Town center, through the winding streets of green cornfields, we came to the Truong Thanh Livestock Farming Cooperative - the only organic pig farming in Bac Giang.

After the greeting, Director of the cooperative To Hien Thanh excitedly took us visit around the farm. The most impressive is the pig stall equipped with automatic drinking water system and modern heating equipment.

Some outstanding achievements of To Hien Thanh:

- The provincial successful agricultural farming household in the period of 2012 – 2016

- The “Good Production and Business Veteran” movement in the period of 2010 – 2015

- The Merit Award from Vietnam Cooperative Union 2017

 "As humans, in order to have good health, we have to live in a clean environment, so we pay much attention to the hygiene of the pig farm. Every day, pigs are bathed cleanly, waste in cages is cleaned", Thanh said. The cooperative has 4 commercial pig farms which sell about 15,000 pigs each year.

After visiting the pig farm, we had a conversation at the tea table. When asked about the difference of organic pigs compared to normal pigs, Thanh said: "It is a very rigorous process, with strict control over the selection of piglets, types of feeds and slaughter procedures. Especially, antibiotics, growth hormones, or lean-meat agents must not be used throughout the farming process. Normally, the cooperative need to 7 months to raise the pig, twice as long as the industrial breeding method”. Because of that, pork from the cooperative still sells with an average price of 200,000 VND (8.8 USD) per kg.

Commit to maintaining high quality

To Hien Thanh (L) – Director of Truong Thanh Livestock Farming Cooperative receives the certificate of organic pork. 

Each day, Truong Thanh Livestock Farming Cooperative supplies about 1 tonne of organic pork to the market. In particular, with the customers are 14 primary schools in Hiep Hoa district which have organized meals for students, the cooperative sells pork at the cost of production. Truong Thanh Cooperative has provided a wide range of products such as sausage, spring roll, pork paste among others favored by many users. During the introduction of vacuum packaging products, Thanh expressed his intention to do business in the time ahead. In order to meet the increasing demand of the market, the cooperative continues to expand the scale of production but with each step firmly and cautiously.

According to Thanh, farmers should have a business ethic. Starting from this point of view, co-operatives are looking for and choosing really enthusiastic farm owners. The cooperative is expected to train and guide 10 owners of pig farms to link and provide products; continue to expand the consumption channel. Not only supplying products to Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Nghe An, Hanoi, the cooperative has set up a sales agent in Phu My Hung Urban Area, District 7 (Ho Chi Minh City). Recently, Thanh also negotiated and prepared to sign new order with high-end food importer from China and Japan.

When we left, Thanh was still concerned: "Through my own startup, I found it very difficult to get a loan to invest. I hope that the State and commercial banks have more flexible mechanisms and policies to help people develop their economies".