Youngsters make fortune on agriculture

Given the high unemployment rate among urban youngsters, Youth Unions in some localities have taken various measures in order to address the issue. Safe vegetables farms in the South Central Coastal province of Quang Ngai are among those initiatives.

Realising the locality’s high unemployment rate and leftover farming land, Đức Chánh communal Youth Union in Quang Ngai province in early 2016 asked the local authorities to deploy safe vegetables farms. Having gained the necessary approval, the Union managed to gather 20 local youngsters and raise sufficient fund to kick off the project.

According to Vo Ngoc Nam, Project Manager, the area was originally allocated for rice farming but it was ineffective. He and his companions saw the land’s untapped potential and asked the locality change it into vegetable farming. Then they called for the help of local youngsters. It has been three years and we are thinking of expanding the model.

The project has proved effective as it makes use of the local unemployed youngsters’ spare time while earning them quite a deal.

The initiative was recognised with a prestigious award by the Central Youth Union in 2017.

Nguyen Van Lam, Secretary of Duc Chanh Communal Youth Union, Mo Duc district, Quang Ngai province told reporters: "The local idle labour force accounts for a large number so we came up with the idea of agricultural restructuring. When carrying out the project, technical issue is also a challenge. The local agricultural promotion centre also helps by organising frequent technical training classes."

Besides the local Youth Union, some individuals have also run their own business of vegetables farming and gained positive achievements.

Le Thi Dat is among such people. Overcoming numerous difficulties at first, now she has a veggie farm of over 5 hectares with more than 20 species. Also her products have received positive feedbacks from customers.

Dat said: "Chronic diseases are common now partly because of unsafe food. So, hygienic vegetables are winning customers. We are planning to open chain stores selling clean vegetables under farm-to-store model so that customers can completely have faith on our products."

According to Tran Van Man, Chairman of Mo Duc district People’s Committee,Quang Ngai province, there have been lots of projects on clean vegetables by youngsters in Mo Duc district in recent years. They are well educated, innovative and bold so they succeeded.

He also pledged to create the most favorable conditions for them to develop.

As start-up movement has been promoted in recent time, many youngsters have taken advantage of their localities’ conditions and made a fortune. Quang Ngai province is now home to 80 economic models owned by youngsters with average income of over 3,000 USD a year.