Brian Jeffrey
Xuan Son village, situated in the mountainous Son Dien commune of Quan Son District in Thanh Hoa Province, faces challenges typical of impoverished rural areas, where inhabitants depend primarily on upland agriculture. Life remains tough for the residents, yet Luong Thi Luc, a Muong ethnic woman born in 1990, managed to thrive and earned her place at the Hanoi University of Physical Education.
After graduating in 2015, Luc wed Pham Ngoc Thanh, born in 1989, from Yen Bai Province. Both trained in physical education but chose to forgo teaching in favor of entrepreneurial endeavors upon returning to their hometown.
Their initial business was a modest facility for creating chopsticks and toothpicks. Unfortunately, fluctuating demand and a shortage of customers rendered this venture financially unfeasible.
In 2020, while enjoying a day at Sua stream, they discovered the stream’s refreshing and continuously flowing clean water. Inspired by successful sturgeon farming stories from family in Yen Bai, Thanh suggested they try this aquaculture venture. Luc quickly agreed, and that same day, they began laying the groundwork for their new enterprise.
The following day, they assessed the location, set up electricity and a gravity-fed water system, excavated ponds, lined them with tarpaulin, and constructed concrete tanks.
Starting small, they raised just over 1,000 fish across four tanks. A year later, they harvested over two tons, selling them for around $7 to $9 per kilogram and netting nearly $4,000 after costs.
Buoyed by these outcomes, they expanded their operation to house 20,000 fish. By 2024, their sturgeon business was on track to achieve nearly $80,000 in sales, yielding a net profit of over $24,000.
Currently, their farm provides full-time jobs for five local employees, with salaries ranging between $235 and $315 each month.
“Sturgeon are referred to as ‘noble’ fish due to their significant economic worth. They can only flourish in clean water at temperatures between 18°C and 23°C. Without optimal water conditions, temperature, and nutrition, their mortality rate increases,” Luc explained.
Their sturgeon are primarily distributed to restaurants and tourist locations in Hai Phong, Hanoi, and Quang Ninh. Traders from these regions frequently visit their farm during harvest time to procure the fish.
To further formalize and grow their business, Luc and Thanh founded the Thanh Luc Agricultural and Aquaculture Cooperative. Their sturgeon products have been awarded a 3-star OCOP (One Commune One Product) certification.
They are currently developing an additional farming site upstream on the Sua stream and have released tens of thousands of sturgeon fry. This year, they anticipate a profit exceeding $40,000 from the new facility.
In 2024, Luc received recognition from the Thanh Hoa Provincial Farmers’ Union as an exemplary innovative farmer and startup entrepreneur within the ethnic minority community.
Most recently, on May 16, she was awarded by the Thanh Hoa Women’s Union as an outstanding businesswoman for the period from 2020 to 2025.
Luong Van Chien, the Vice Chairman of the Son Dien Commune People’s Committee, remarked that this is the first sturgeon farming initiative in Quan Son District, which has demonstrated substantial potential for further expansion to two or three additional sites within the commune.
“Luc’s family is enthusiastic about the prospect of establishing more sites in various areas of the commune. We are dedicated to facilitating the growth of this model to enhance the local economy,” Chien affirmed.
