Start-up with traditional crafts

Bui Thi Thanh Hoa (born 1990) was born and raised in Thuy Tram, a red carp-raising village in Tuy Loc commune, Cam Khe district. Hoa began as a traditional family career and has now developed into large-scale farms and aquaculture sites in the districts of Cam Khe, Tan Son, and Yen Lap, totaling billions of dongs.

Hoa welcomed us to the sturgeon rearing farm in Minh Tan commune, Cam Khe district, on a busy morning at the start of the week, saying, "My family is the incentive for me to create a company in my hometown. I chose to engage in sturgeon farming after learning from the family’s experiences and models in other areas. In Minh Tan commune, I erected 100 sturgeon breeding tanks with a total of around 100,000 fish to serve my commercial fish farms in Trung Son commune in Yen Lap district and Dong Son commune in Tan Son district."

Bui Thi Thanh Hoa breeds sturgeons at Minh Tan commune, Cam Khe district.

According to Thanh Hoa, raising sturgeon is more challenging than raising other traditional fish. Thanh Hoa had to choose a spot carefully to produce sturgeon fingerlings and commercial fish based on water source, climate, and other factors.

The mild environment of Dong Son commune, Tan Son district, keeps the water coming from the cave fresh all year, making it ideal for breeding cold-water species such as sturgeon.

Tan Son Organic Agriculture Cooperative’s sturgeon farming model in Ben Than, Dong Son commune, Tan Son District.

Tan Son Organic Agriculture Cooperative, managed by Bui Thi Thanh Hoa, produced 50,000 juvenile fish and 40,000 commercial fish in 2023, generating about VND4.5 billion in income. Along with sturgeon farming, Hoa advised that the cooperative invest in the Ben Than community tourist area, recognizing that Dong Son had perfect weather and landscape for this type of tourism. The objective is to construct a self-sufficient economic model based on service development in order to enhance income for the Dao people living here. In a short period of time, the approach has helped to open up economic opportunities for local residents.

Tan Son Organic Agriculture Cooperative in Trung Son commune, Yen Lap district, has spent VND15 billion in sturgeon farming, including 30 ponds, 70 nursery tanks with filtration systems, and sophisticated gear. Currently, the cooperative’s Trung Son fish farm raises 70,000 juvenile fish and 40,000 commercial fish, with an annual income of more than VND5 billion and a profit of over VND600 million. The total revenue from cooperatives and associated models adopted by Bui Thi Thanh Hoa is around VND25 billion, with an average profit of 6-7 billion VND annually.

Many individuals choose to grow sturgeons because of their great economic worth.

To continue refining the concept and improving economic efficiency in the future, Hoa stated, "I don’t want to only produce fish fingerlings, but also turn it into an eco-tourism destination. As a result, the Cooperative will promote the model by developing the Phu Tho sturgeon brand; strengthening promotion through mass media channels, social networks, trade fairs, and agricultural exhibits; and collaborating with restaurants and hotels to provide unique fish meals along with attracting tourists come to experience local cultural events.

Vinh Ha