Tran Van Son was born in 1966. At the age of 20, the young man responded to the Fatherland’s call by voluntarily joining the military and being assigned to Brigade 245 of Corps 12.
After three years of excellent service, in March 1989, he was selected to attend an officer training course for a long-term military career. However, due to health problem, he requested to be discharged and returned home, resuming his work at Huong Son forestry farm. In 1993, when the farm was transitioned to a “forestry services” model, the former soldier decided to leave and took on the management of 27 hectares of forest land for protection, cultivation, and economic development.
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Veteran Tran Van Son taking care of his pomelo's garden |
After he and his wife left their jobs to focus on long-term living and economic development, they devised a plan to diversify their income sources by cultivating one hectare of rice, raising fish, deer, cattle, chickens, and ducks, and afforesting.
In 2013, with the government's support for economic development models, Son’s family applied to establish a commercial pig farming business. They cleared the land, built two pig pens, and began raising 1,000 pigs. By utilizing modern husbandry techniques, especially in environmental sanitation, their pigs grow healthy and fast, with each weighing between 80-100kg. They produce four batches annually, each batch generating between VND 270-290 million in income, with the latest one bringing in nearly VND 400 million.
To maintain and develop this model, the family hires three full-time workers and four-five seasonal workers. In addition to pig farming, Son’s family allocates one hectare of land for fish raising, generating an annual income of VND 60-90 million. They plant 350 pomelo trees, which have been producing fruit for six seasons, with each tree yielding about VND 1 million. Additionally, they have 150 orange trees, which have also been bearing fruit for five years.
In addition, the family manages three hectares of acacia trees, with each cycle (four to five years) generating approximately VND 180 million and 22 hectares of timber forest which is estimated to be worth hundreds of billions of VND. Overall, the family’s economic model generates an annual revenue of over VND 1.8 billion, with a net profit of around 1.4 billion VND after deducting wages and production costs. Together with providing stable income for workers, the business produces clean and safe products for locals.
Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council of Son Kim 1 commune Tran Van Hai praised Son as a pioneering veteran in building a comprehensive farm model and a role model for economic development in the locality. His farm is one of the largest and most profitable in Huong Son district. In addition to his economic success, Son is an active and responsible member of the Veterans’ Association.
Thanks to his achievements, Son’s family has been presented with many certificates of merit. At the conference to honor exemplary people in the 2010-2015 period, his family was awarded a certificate by the Ha Tinh provincial People's Committee. His farm has since become a regular site for visitors from across the province and beyond, who come to learn from and follow his example.
Translated by Tran Hoai