Starting from a rented room for 300 thousand VND, after 14 years “doctor shrimp” Le Anh Xuan owns a business with a revenue of several hundred billion VND/year.
Mr. Le Anh Xuan with the product of black tiger shrimp cultured according to GAP/CoC standards. Photo: NVCC.
Master Le Anh Xuan (42 years old) is one of 53 authors honored as “Farmer’s Scientist” in 2018 organized for the first time by the Central Association of Farmers. He was honored in the scientific and technological enterprise block for his research on probiotic products for the shrimp farming industry.
Working in the process, accumulating experience in shrimp farming, in 2004 he decided to open his own company to rent a room for 300,000 VND/month as a headquarters. At Truc Anh Trading and Production Co., Ltd., he holds the role of employee and director. Born in Thanh Hoa, Mr. Xuan graduated from Nha Trang University with a degree in aquaculture engineering. According to the right field of study, after graduating from school, he joined a shrimp farming company in Tien Giang, for a time he transferred to Saigon Biotechnology Company (Bac Lieu branch) to work.
Borrowing money, renting land for shrimp farming and researching the production of biological products, he bets his future on shrimp farms. Fortunately, with more than 7,000 m2 of industrial black tiger shrimp farming, he won the first crop when the shrimp were healthy and growing quickly, in contrast to the general situation of other farming squares who were sick because of the polluted environment.
With momentum, he expanded production and development of inoculant products for the farming industry and researched and built a clean shrimp farming process using probiotic products to replace chemicals… With a real-life human model, the products for aquaculture production of his company are trusted and used by people.
TA-PONDPRO probiotic products can be mentioned as a scientific and technological product used in the treatment and improvement of the water environment, effectively treating turbid water and algae, providing beneficial probiotic, and killing pathogenic bacteria, releasing toxic gasses (NH3, H2S).
TA-PONDPRO probiotic product has been successfully researched to help treat luminous diseases caused by bacteria, algae, black smoke, black gills, broken antennae, and tail worms in shrimp.
Thanks to the production and application of new technologies in farming, his business was certified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as a highly applied agricultural enterprise. Shrimp farming relatives call him with the dear name “doctor Tom”.
Over the past 14 years, the former aquaculture engineer has steered Truc Anh Company’s products to develop widely throughout the shrimp farming provinces across the country with more than 300 agents and more than 10,000 trusted shrimp farming households.
From one employee, now Truc Anh company has attracted more than 70 skilled workers. He also built a shrimp farming process to ensure GAP/CoC, ISO 9001-2008 quality standard system, and marketed probiotic products with quality and regulated standards.
Currently, the farming process and probiotic products aimed at protecting the environment and creating clean shrimp products have been applied by farmers in 28 provinces.
Mr. Le Anh Xuan (right) and Associate Professor Tran Dang Xuan (Hiroshima University, Japan). Photo: Loan Le.
Do not enrich himself
Master Xuan shared, if only the revenue of Truc Anh Company is counted a few hundred billion dong a year. “I am aiming for the number of thousands of billion dong when applying technological advances and farming processes across the provinces and cities across the country,” said Mr. Xuan. He also helped many people get out of poverty and get rich by growing clean shrimp.
As one of the shrimp farming households who have lost for many years in a row because of shrimp diseases and devaluation, Mr. Huynh Quang Hung (Vinh Binh hamlet, Vinh Thinh commune, Hoa Binh district, Bac Lieu province) thought he fell into a separated family scene.
Knowing the story, Mr. Xuan sent the regional engineer down directly to the area to guide the farming process, capital investment, breed and medicine with technical support for Mr. Hung to overcome difficulties.
After 87 days of stocking, shrimp collected 50 shrimp/kg, total revenue of 3.6 tons with the selling price of 195,000 VND/kg, earning 780 million VND, profit 350 million VND. Mr. Hung escaped from the situation of his wife going to work abroad, the children being illiterate, the family rising to become rich and becoming a shining example in overcoming difficulties in the locality.
Talking about the secret of success, Xuan affirmed that only science and technology can help businesses confidently create products without worrying about changing weather or losing prices.
“Investing in scientific and technological research is never a mistake,” said Mr. Xuan, adding that he is still cherishing new plans and investing in deeper science. He is collaborating with scientists in Japan to research and transfer technology to produce and process medicinal mushrooms of high economic value, taking good care of public health.
For his contributions to production and research, Mr. Le Anh Xuan has received many certificates of merit from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the 2014 National Quality Gold Award awarded by the Prime Minister.
