Sowing "silk seeds" on difficult land

That is Ms. Vu Thi Tuy - Director of Duy Phuong Silk Company Limited, the pioneer in bringing silkworm farming to this land of many hardships.

Having lived in Bao Loc City (old) for many years, Ms. Vu Thi Tuy used to have a small silkworm farm. However, the limited economic conditions and the desire to rise up urged her to make a bold decision: In 2005, she left Bao Loc for Dam Rong - a poor district at that time that was still wild, sparsely populated, and difficult to navigate. “I realized that this land had a favorable climate and fertile soil, very suitable for growing mulberry and raising silkworms. I boldly borrowed credit capital, initially borrowing 5 million VND, then 10 million VND to start building a silkworm farming model. I also mobilized 11 more households in the area to follow suit, creating a community to develop a new profession in a land with many difficulties,” Ms. Tuy expressed.

From the initial small steps, with determination and vision, in 2022, Ms. Vu Thi Tuy officially launched Duy Phuong Silk Incubation Factory - the largest project in Dam Rong area, with an area of 2,400 m2 and a total investment of up to 21 billion VND.

Not only creating a livelihood, Ms. Tuy also focuses on vocational training for workers. During the 10-20 day apprenticeship, workers are supported with food expenses and are instructed in professional skills so that they can stay long-term. Thanks to that, many ethnic minority women such as M'Nong, H'Mong, Tay... have stable jobs with an average income of 9 million VND/month, a dream number for many farming households here.

Ms. Vu Thi Tuy said: "In order for the company to operate effectively and gradually build a closed production chain, recently, the unit has invested more than 14 billion VND to complete items such as cold storage, generators, and modern machinery and equipment."

Not stopping there, in early 2025, Ms. Tuy continued to invest 4 billion VND to import silkworm incubation machines, ensuring high-quality silkworm breeds. At the same time, she maintained and contracted with farmers to expand the raw material area of over 14 hectares of mulberry to stabilize production.

After 3 years of operation, Duy Phuong Silk Incubation Factory now operates with a capacity of 2 tons of cocoons/day, output of 7-8 tons of silk/month, creating jobs for 65 workers, including 50 female workers in the locality and neighboring areas.

Not only does it generate income, Duy Phuong Silk Company also opens the door to jobs for poor students to earn extra income, support their families, and pay for tuition. Ms. Dao Thi Thanh Vuong, a H'Mong ethnic in village 8, Quang Hoa commune, shared: "My family has 1 hectare of coffee, my husband takes care of the farm, and I came to the company to learn a trade. At first, I was confused, but seeing that the work is easy, I will try to master the job." Ms. Vo Thi Thu Hien in Phi Co village, Dam Rong 3 commune, said: "I have been working for a month now, my skills are quite solid, I just received my first month's salary so I am very excited."

Ms. Vu Thi Tuy is not only an entrepreneur, a “woman of silkworms” but also a symbol of will, faith and perseverance; a person who inspires and sows hope for the entire farming community to rise up from a land of many difficulties. Starting from nothing in a wild land, Ms. Tuy has now written a success story, creating inspiration for those who want to start a business in agriculture, at the same time, affirming the important role of women in economic development in rural areas, contributing to the transformation of agricultural structure, increasing income and developing the local socio-economy.