We visited the lotus pond of Mr. Nguyen Xuan Huyen's family on an afternoon in mid-March. The fresh green color of the lotus pond preparing for the season seemed to dispel the sultry late spring weather.

Talking about his journey to the white lotus, Mr. Huyen said: After completing his duty as a People's Police officer and going through a number of unstable freelance jobs, in 2020, he returned to Phu Thien to support his family with farming and participate in local Youth Union activities. Thanks to being able to travel to many places and learn many new economic models, he decided to take advantage of the available pond area in his garden for production.

Initially, he only planted 10 white lotus plants on an area of ​​250 square meters, costing nearly 2 million VND. Realizing the effectiveness, in early 2024, from the lotus planted before, he expanded the area by 2 more sao, covering 3 ponds around the house. "The type of lotus I grow is white Thai lotus, also known as Quan Am lotus. This species has many petals, blooms large, has a light fragrance and lasts a long time, so it is loved by many people. Compared to raising fish, the cost of growing lotus is significantly lower and the economic efficiency is more stable," Mr. Huyen said excitedly.

According to Mr. Huyen, to make lotus flowers bloom beautifully, with long-lasting color and at the right time, growers must strictly follow the planting process and spray pesticides properly. In addition, lotus is a water-loving species, so he often builds strong pond banks to retain water and adjust the water level accordingly. After 3 months of planting, the lotus takes root, the leaves cover the water surface and begin to flower. White lotus blooms all year round, and can be harvested every day. The harvest period lasts about 4 months. Normally, he harvests about 600 flowers/month, and during peak season (from April to June), lotus can yield up to 1,000 flowers.

The flowers are ready for harvest when the buds are as big as three fingers and are not damaged. Each lotus bud can stay fresh for two days. With a selling price of 5,000 VND/flower, his family earns about 9 million VND per month. During peak season, the white lotus flowers cover the water surface, creating a poetic scene in the middle of the village.

“Growing lotus only costs the initial seed cost, and the care is also insignificant. Just check regularly, if you find planthoppers, spray pesticides 1-2 times and it will be gone. When raising fish, my family spent a lot of effort and money but did not earn much. Since planting lotus, although it has not brought high income, it has been quite stable. From then on, I can spend more time on local Youth Union activities and cultivating my family's 5 hectares of rice and sugarcane,” said Mr. Huyen.

After nearly 3 years of working with white lotus, Mr. Huyen has become a familiar lotus supplier for flower shops, wedding and funeral services, and even individual customers in neighboring districts such as Chu Se, Dak Doa, Krong Pa... Before that, when not many people knew about him, he mainly sold lotus flowers through social networks. Gradually, thanks to the quality of the flowers and his reputation, many flower shops have come to his family's garden to buy.

Ms. Doan Thi Thuy - Owner of Nha Dua flower shop (Nguyen Tat Thanh street, Phu Thien town) said: "Previously, I often imported flowers from markets in Pleiku city to sell, but since I learned that Mr. Huyen grows white lotus, I don't need to go far anymore, which helps save a lot on transportation costs. The flowers here are fresh, beautiful, round and have very standard colors. When I need them, I can call Mr. Huyen and he will deliver the flowers immediately."

In addition to boldly taking the lead and succeeding in growing white lotus, Mr. Huyen is also known as an excellent member of the Youth Union, always actively participating in the Youth Union activities of the village and commune. In 2023, he and the Ia Ake commune team excellently won first prize at the Phu Thien District Red Cross Propaganda Competition. In 2024, he and the youth union members of Tan Diep 1 village continued to win third prize in the competition to learn about the law on ethnic affairs organized by the Provincial Ethnic Committee in coordination with relevant departments and branches.

Not stopping there, Mr. Huyen also regularly donates a portion of his revenue from selling white lotus flowers to charity activities in the village. He also actively cooperates with benefactors to give gifts to students with good academic performance and support disadvantaged households in the area.

Mr. Huyen confided: “Nearly 5 years of working in the Youth Union has given me many opportunities to participate in meaningful activities and contribute my youth to society. At the same time, the Youth Union environment has also helped me mature, accumulate more experience in life and economic development.”

Sharing his future plans, Mr. Huyen said he will continue to expand the lotus growing area to increase output and meet the growing market demand. He also hopes that through this new economic model, he can create jobs for local youth and increase income to contribute more to community activities.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/tang-thu-nhap-nho-trong-sen-trang-post315350.html