Le Thanh Them, a student from Nong Lam University in Hue city, says he is doing good business from growing vegetables with the hydroponic method.

The agriculture student of Nong Lam University in the central town of Hue came up with a plan to grow vegetables in a small area next to his rent room he was staying at because the price of vegetables in the flood-prone city would soar every time disaster struck.

“Hue is hit by many floods, and after the floods, vegetables become more expensive but they are not fresh and their quality is dubious,” Them says. “I decided to grow sprouts to help students in the hostel enjoy clean vegetables with their meals.”

He started growing vegetables in various containers indoor and on the balcony, using the hydroponic method – which involves cultivating plants in a nutrient-rich liquid, without the use of soil.

Them focused first on cultivating vegetables that were easy to grow in the containers, like alfalfa, watercress, leeks and beans. They could be harvested quickly and grown without too much trouble.

He invested VND100,000 (US$6) in buying trays, sprayers, tissues, seeds, and growing mediums like coconut fiber, sawdust and rice husk.

Using the knowledge gained through his studies, he began growing organic vegetables successfully. With one kilogram of seeds worth VND30,000 ($1.80), he could produce seven kilograms of sprouts three days later. And he could harvest his crop in a few days after that.

When he started growing vegetables, he had never imagined he would sell them. However, despite sharing his vegetables with his hostel mates and classmates, there was too much left over. He could do nothing but let his vegetables wither or rot.

This made Them determined to salvage his investment, and he started selling plants and vegetables in order to pay his tuition fees as well. He spent one day writing a few notices and went to restaurants and other eateries to introduce his products.

Many restaurant owners agreed to use his vegetables because they were clean and not contaminated with chemical fertilizers and pesticides, or even soil.

Each day, Them now sells about four kilograms of vegetables worth VND40,000 ($2.30) each and gets a profit of more than VND100,000 ($6) a day.

“To me, this revenue is very big because my business runs on a very small scale,” Them says. “The money is enough to pay my tuition fees.”

Them says that after he graduates from the university, he will start a business growing organic vegetables in his hometown and instruct farmers in his methods.

“I know that I will face many difficulties but I will try,” he says, adding, “I will first run my business on a small scale and later, I will expand my business little by little if I have enough capital.”

Them says that it is possible to run a business in his hometown because he is already making money even when he is busy with his studies. He intends to grow many kinds of vegetables, including lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber through the hydroponic method.

In addition, he has a plan to grow ornamental plants in glass vases to sell to coffee shops and restaurants.

“People who like ornamental plants can enjoy every part… from the root to the top of the plant.”

VietNamNet/TN