Trailblazing Farmers in Lam Dong

In 2025, Nguyen Thanh Son, Director of Da M’ri Agricultural Cooperative in Da Huoai 2 Commune, was honored by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union as an Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer. He has been a pioneer in durian cultivation at the foot of Bao Loc Pass. Beyond that, he has served as a driving force, encouraging hundreds of local durian-farming households to join the cooperative. Da M’ri Agricultural Cooperative has grown into a major durian exporter, thanks in large part to the leadership of its 76-year-old director.

Earlier, in 2024, Nguyen Minh Tam, a farmer from sun-drenched Mui Ne, was honored as a National Outstanding Farmer. Tam has developed a green agricultural value chain that combines local specialty livestock farming with experiential ecotourism, generating strong and sustainable economic returns. He also runs a clean food business, an experiential tourism farm and a restaurant, offering visitors to Mui Ne a distinctive coastal culinary experience.

Nguyen Thanh Son, Nguyen Minh Tam and 50 other farmers and cooperatives across Lam Dong have been honored by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union as outstanding farmers and farmer collectives. What sets them apart is not only their hard work, technical innovation and efforts to restructure crop and livestock production, but also their strong commitment to the community and their willingness to support fellow farmers. Nguyen Thi Mai, Director of Quang Phu Organic Agriculture and Forestry Cooperative in Quang Phu Commune, is a case in point. Together with other cooperative members, she has transformed barren land into an organic fruit farm producing high-quality, sweet citrus fruits.

According to Truong Van Tung, Chairman of the Lam Dong Farmers’ Union, the Outstanding Vietnamese Farmers Network brings together successful farmers who are willing to share their achievements with the community. “The Outstanding Vietnamese Farmers Network is part of the Proud of Vietnamese Farmers program. Its members are farmers who have made significant contributions to economic development, new-style rural development, and the maintenance of public order and security in their localities. They are the best among the best — exemplary and pioneering farmers who not only improve their own livelihoods and those of their families and create jobs for many others, but also inspire and guide other farmers to follow their example,” Tung said.

Lam Dong has around 348,000 Farmers’ Union members, representing 85.2 percent of all agricultural households in the province and contributing significantly to improving the quality and efficiency of agricultural production. “Each outstanding farmer is a source of inspiration and an example for the community to learn from. We are proud that every good production farmer is also an active member who helps promote local production and business movements, contributing to the strong and sustainable development of rural areas,” Truong Van Tung said.