He begged his wife to join him in developing purple onions and white radishes, putting the products on supermarket shelves and paving a sustainable path for farmers.

Truong Ngoc An, 43, is the eldest of three children in a family in Vinh Chau ward in Can Tho city. His family has a traditional profession and is famous for its four-flavor roast duck dish.

An was born in Vinh Chau, a land associated with purple onions and white radishes. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in finance and business, An chose to stay in HCMC to start his career, later becoming the executive director of a foreign company specializing in fine handicrafts for nearly 20 years.

The job brought stable income, $1,500 (VND40 million)/month. But every time he returned home, seeing the hardworking farmers whose lives remained precarious, he felt heavy in his heart.

“People work so hard to grow onions and radishes, but when harvest season comes, the price drops too low and there’s no profit. Once, I saw piles of radish rotting in the fields because no one bought them. I wondered why we couldn’t do something to increase the value of our local produce,” An said.

That question became a turning point. He decided to leave his desirable position in the city and return home to start a business with the hope of preserving traditional work while opening a new path for local agricultural products.

Leaving his life in HCMC to return to the countryside was not an easy decision. He admitted the gap between the two environments was huge, from lifestyle and income to daily routines.

When he first made the decision, his family objected, worried about an uncertain future. But his passion for agriculture and his desire to create value for his hometown kept him determined.

“I saw how hard people worked, and I also saw opportunities for agriculture. I thought: if I don’t do it now, when will I ever do it?” he said.

His wife, originally from HCMC and accustomed to urban life, was not easily convinced to follow him back home. He said he had to persuade her repeatedly, explaining every plan and direction. Only after seeing results and his seriousness did she gradually support him and become his companion in developing local produce.

When he first returned, An continued working with his family’s four-flavor roasted duck business, creating new dishes such as crispy-skin duck, yin-yang duck and dark-night duck.

However, his biggest passion was still building a stable market for purple onions and white radishes. “Fresh produce is unstable in price. Only deep processing can elevate its value,” he said.

He built a dried-produce facility, starting with salted radish (xa bau) and purple onion, then expanding to other products. An admitted he entered the agricultural sector with nearly zero experience. Everything started from passion, self-learning and experimentation.

Starting a company 

In 2022, he established an agricultural company, investing more than VND1 billion in a drying system with a capacity of 1 ton per day, turning raw produce into branded goods.

From this production line, various products were created such as salty xa bau, sweet xa bau, sweet-and-sour xa bau and dried purple onion, earning 3-star and 4-star OCOP (one commune, one product) recognition.

“OCOP is not just a certificate. It’s the trust that helps me prove to consumers that Vinh Chau produce can absolutely compete in bigger markets,” An said.

To expand further, An focused heavily on ingredients, processing and packaging. Sweet xa bau is salted, dried and caramelized using low-heat technology, keeping its natural crunch and light sweetness. Thanks to this, his company sells tons of products monthly, now appearing on the shelves of many major supermarkets.

Compared to selling at markets, getting agricultural products into supermarket chains is a long and difficult journey. Profit decreases, certification costs rise and standards become stricter, but he has accepted it.

“Lower profit is fine as long as we make it into supermarkets. That’s when the brand truly grows,” he said, noting that he does not expect short-term profit.

What he aims for is creating a model for locals to follow, gradually forming a specialized agricultural zone. “It’s hard waiting for big companies to come to our rural areas. Only dedicated locals can make it happen,” he said.

Beyond production, An and local farmers also founded the Phong Phu Clean Agricultural Cooperative with 13 official and 25 affiliated members. The cooperative grows purple onion, chili and white radish in concentrated areas, standardizing raw materials for processing.

Ha Nguyen