Unexpected turn

Early in the morning at the end of April, Ms. Pham Thi Nhan (born in 1992, residing in Duy Trinh commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam) was present at the farm of more than 3,000 square meters to start her daily work.

She cleans the coop, feeds the chickens, checks the misting system and air conditioning, and plays classical music. The music resonates throughout the space, where thousands of black chickens are thriving, laying about 2,000 eggs a day.

Few people know that this petite woman used to be an employee of a large bank in Ho Chi Minh City, with a fairly high salary.

Female economics master leaves the city to return to the countryside to start a business raising black chickens. Photo: Ha Nam

In 2015, after graduating from Ho Chi Minh City Banking University and working while studying for a master's degree in economics, Nhan thought he would stick with a long-term financial career in the "luxurious city".

However, in 2018, while pregnant with her first child, an accident happened, she had a stroke and had to stay in the hospital for more than a month.

Although her daughter was born healthy, the after-effects left Nhan with a slight facial deformity, reduced vision, and serious health problems. Her husband had to quit his job as a telecommunications engineer and return to Quang Nam to take care of his wife and child.

“At that time, I fell into a crisis and despair. I was self-conscious about my appearance, had poor health, and thought all doors were closed,” Ms. Nhan recalled.

Ms. Pham Thi Nhan is the only representative of Quang Nam province to receive the Luong Dinh Cua Award in 2024. Photo: NVCC

In 2019, by chance, she learned that a household in the commune needed to transfer a livestock farm. Nhan discussed with her husband about borrowing from the bank to buy it back to start a business.

With no experience, she started with a herd of 200 pigs. However, after only 3 months, African swine fever broke out, causing her to lose nearly half a billion VND.

Buy a heater and air conditioner for... chickens

Wiping away her tears after the failure, Nhan switched to raising black chickens – a small, dark-meat, nutritious breed that is not yet popular in Quang Nam. She went to the West to buy 3,000 chickens to raise according to the clean agriculture model.

In the early days, Nhan faced countless difficulties such as the chickens being shy and easily startled, the weather in the Central region being harsh,...

Silkie chickens have small bodies, white feathers, black skin, meat, bones and beaks. Photo: Ha Nam

Ms. Nhan's egg-laying chicken coop. Photo: Ha Nam

To improve the living conditions for chickens, she and her husband researched and invested in building a closed barn, equipped with air conditioners, heaters, biological bedding... and especially a speaker system that plays symphony music 8 hours a day.

“Siamese chickens are very sensitive. If they are stressed, they will eat less and lay eggs irregularly. I use music as a therapy to help them relax. It sounds strange, but in fact, thanks to this, the flock is more stable and the eggs are of better quality,” she shared.

Up to now, Ms. Nhan has invested about 2 billion VND in the farm. Photo: Ha Nam

The barn system is built modernly. Photo: Ha Nam

Currently, Ms. Nhan's farm harvests about 2,000 eggs every day, distributing them to supermarkets and grocery stores in Quang Nam, Da Nang, Quang Ngai and selling them online. Each egg costs from 3,000 to 3,500 VND. Chicken manure is sold to coffee gardens in the Central Highlands, helping to increase income.

On average, the farm earns about 150 million VND per month.

In 2021, Hao Nhan black chicken egg products were certified by Quang Nam to achieve 3-star OCOP at the provincial level.

The bold and unique way of starting a business of a 9X girl from Quang Nam was honored by the Central Youth Union with the 2024 Luong Dinh Cua Award - an award for outstanding rural youth entrepreneurs.

Black chicken eggs are small in size but have high nutritional value. Photo: Ha Nam

Regarding upcoming plans, Nhan said he will continue to expand his network of partners and distributors, aiming to build a clean black chicken brand with the characteristics of Quang Nam region.

“I used to think that the stroke had closed all doors. But if there is still will and action, life still has another way. Starting a business is never easy, but I believe that what comes from the heart will be sustainable,” she confided.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/bo-viec-luong-cao-nu-thac-si-ve-que-sam-may-lanh-mo-nhac-phuc-vu-ga-2394310.html