Reformed man in Tu Ky "embraces" abandoned fields to get rich

The "indigo" life

Together with the staff of the Women's Union of Quang Phuc commune, we visited the tidal rice fields in Thai An village. Looking at the square, flat rice fields, few people would think that this place was once abandoned, with overgrown weeds, broken pottery scattered everywhere, and rats running rampant.

The fields are being revived every day thanks to the diligence, hard work, and daring to think and act of Mr. Nguyen Van Thai (34 years old) in Thai An village, Quang Phuc commune. While wading through the fields to build embankments, Mr. Thai talked to us. His hands and feet were covered in mud, and his face was dark, so he looked more mature than his age.

Perhaps because he still felt guilty about his past, at first he was a bit shy when talking about the past. Gradually opening up, Mr. Thai told that he had been sentenced to 1 year in prison for illegal possession of drugs. Thanks to the encouragement of his family and local authorities, he tried to reform well and quickly completed his sentence.

After returning to his hometown, Mr. Thai always felt inferior and self-conscious. He was afraid that people would look at him with contempt and discrimination. Therefore, at first, he limited going out and interacting with people. At that time, his family life was very poor, his two children were still in school, and he himself did not know where to start. But he was still determined to refuse all invitations to do illegal work. He did not allow himself to make the same mistake and had to start his life over again.

At the end of 2023, seeing many people abandoning their fields, Mr. Thai went to each household to ask to rent, borrow, and combine them into large fields. With the support of some local organizations, he borrowed capital from the Social Policy Bank to invest in land improvement and buy machinery to develop the economy. Mr. Thai shared: "I was born into a farming family, so I understand farming and plowing very well. When I returned to my hometown and saw my people abandoning a lot of land, I felt it was a waste. Nowhere is as good as my hometown, so I want to return to my hometown to build an economy right from my ancestors' land, from the rice plants themselves."

Overcomehard to start a business

In the early days of renovating the fields, Mr. Thai encountered many difficulties. The field of more than 18 hectares had been abandoned for more than 10 years, so Mr. Thai invested a lot of money and effort to renovate it. He proactively built banks, divided the plots, and brought in irrigation water for convenient cultivation. Recalling the time he struggled with every inch of land, he said: "People wanted to abandon the fields, but I wanted to embrace them. Seeing me sweat day and night to renovate the abandoned fields, everyone shook their heads in concern."

By persistently sticking to the fields, with machinery supporting the production process, the land does not fail the people. The fields are large, so it is possible to carry out specialized rice cultivation "same tea, same variety", which is favorable for commodity production. In the winter-spring crop of 2024 (also the first crop), Mr. Thai focused on planting Khang Dan rice varieties, with a yield of 2.3-2.4 quintals/sao. He proactively sought outlets and linked with traders in the region to sell. Working tirelessly, although the first crop yield from rice was not much, he considered this the motivation to continue to stick with the fields.

During the harvest season, Mr. Thai hires 3 seasonal workers. Having the necessary machinery and equipment, after finishing his housework, he also works for the villagers. The income from harvesting rice and working the land for hire each season is not small. With the accumulated profits, Mr. Thai continues to expand the cultivated land area. "There are days when I come home from work, my hands are calloused and sore from holding hoes and sickles so much, but I still feel happy and peaceful," said Mr. Thai.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thuy, Party Cell Secretary and Head of Thai An Village, said: "After completing his prison sentence and returning to his hometown, Mr. Thai actively reclaimed abandoned fields and did business, demonstrating his responsibility to his family and community."

In the winter-spring crop of 2024, the entire Quang Phuc commune rehabilitated 20 hectares of abandoned fields, of which Mr. Thai alone received rehabilitated more than 18 hectares, the most in the commune, initially bringing income to his family.