Brian Jeffrey
Chef Turned Eel Farmer: Nguyen Van Luu’s Journey
Nguyen Van Luu, who was born in 1988 and hails from Nam Dinh province, has amassed over a decade of culinary experience in renowned hotels across Ho Chi Minh City. In 2019, he made the pivotal choice to return to his roots and venture into eel farming. His efforts have led to his farm providing eel fingerlings to numerous northern provinces.
Luu is also known for his popular TikTok presence, Lao Nong Vlog, which boasts over 5.2 million likes and more than 540,000 followers.
He explained to VietNamNet how he began his journey in eel farming by initially focusing on selling eels. Recognizing a growing market demand for eel breeders, he shifted his focus toward breeding eels to meet that need.
The eels are raised in fields adjacent to his residence in a semi-natural environment, utilizing paddies for growth and hatching on-site. Once they reach market size, Luu sells the fingerlings to various eel farming outfits.
The lifecycle from hatching the eggs to selling fingerlings takes about three months. His farm produces around 200,000 breeders in each crop, with around 500 fingerlings produced per kilogram. These are typically sold at a price range of VND35-40 million per 10,000 fingerlings.
This translates to a significant income of VND700-800 million each season, with potential for higher earnings during supply shortages.
Breeding occurs between March and early December, allowing for 2-3 crops of breeders each year. Luu also dedicates spare time to raising eels meant for consumption.
Although the breeding cycle only spans three months, Luu acknowledges that the techniques involved can be quite complex, particularly due to the less favorable weather conditions in the northern region compared to the south.
Every step in the eel farming process requires precision, and Luu’s hatchery boasts an impressive egg hatching success rate of around 80 percent.
His TikTok channel, established about two years ago, has captivated audiences, accumulating over 5.2 million likes and drawing in more than 540,000 followers. His associated Facebook page, LaoNong, has also gained over 325,000 followers.
LaoNong Vlog transports viewers back to simpler times, showcasing peaceful village life and traditional dishes, including savory meals like braised meat during harvest, starfruit-dried scad, clam soup with greens, clay-baked chicken, and rice balls featuring dried fish. Several videos have amassed view counts in the tens of millions.
The star of these delightful videos is farmer Nguyen Van Phong, aged 64, who is Luu’s father and plays a significant role in the family’s farming narrative.
