A clean agricultural product brand owned by a Tay entrepreneur

The aspiration to build wealth from local excellence

Mr. Luu Lap Duc was born and raised in the former Duc Trong District of Lam Dong Province, a region known for its strengths in vegetable and fruit production. Upon returning home after completing his military service in 2013, he had to take on various arduous jobs such as manual loading and working as a hired truck driver to make a living. He soon came to deeply understand the anxieties and hardships faced by farmers, who often grapple with the recurring cycle of “bumper crops bringing low prices and poor harvests fetching high prices”, alongside a lack of stable market outlets. Driven by youthful energy and a desire to forge a new path, Duc recognized that the immense potential of local agricultural produce lay not in selling raw materials, but in establishing integrated production chains that ensure quality and build a strong brand. In 2015, he decided to start a business by establishing a cooperative group linking the production and consumption of agricultural products. The initial goal was to build a closed-loop value chain, spanning everything from cultivation and harvesting to distribution.

This was by no means an easy decision. Starting a business in his twenties with virtually no experience, he faced numerous challenges as well as skepticism from fellow villagers regarding the new farming model. He self-taught on the Internet and from experienced farmers to learn about techniques, markets, and gradually shape customer needs. During the period of 2015-2016, the Cooperative Group began successfully supplying products such as sweet potatoes, chayote, tomatoes and carrots.

Brand building and corporate social responsibility

Evolving from an initial cooperative group driven by robust growth and the need for market expansion, Mr. Luu Lap Duc co-founded Agri Duc Tien Co., Ltd. in 2019 and assumed the role of CEO. The company’s products are not only widely distributed across the market but are also gradually making their way into major supermarket chains such as Bach Hoa Xanh, WinMart and Co.opmart. Beyond his business success, Director Luu Lap Duc has demonstrated a strong sense of social responsibility; notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Agri Duc Tien Co., Ltd. directly provided 10 tons of vegetables and fruits to residents undergoing social isolation in Tan Uyen, Binh Duong province (old); supporting the procurement of agricultural produce and rescuing nearly 100 tons of vegetables and fruits daily for residents in COVID-19 hotspots as well as for officials and service members.

The mark of young ethnic minority people

Mr. Luu Lap Duc’s success extends beyond the scale of his business operations to the social impact he has generated for his hometown. Hundreds of farming households comprising the Tay people and other ethnic groups have partnered with the company, gaining access to technology transfer, stable employment and consistent market outlets for their products. The average income of households has risen significantly; many have escaped poverty and are now able to invest in their children’s education. For his business achievements, he was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Prime Minister, honored as an Outstanding Young Person of the Nation in 2020, named one of Vietnam’s 86 most outstanding young startup entrepreneurs in 2021, and received the “Youth Living Beautifully” award in 2024.'

The entrepreneurial journey of Director Luu Lap Duc has served as a powerful inspiration for many ethnic minority youths. He has demonstrated that young people can indeed achieve prosperity right on their own land through intellect, creativity and sustainable economic models. With enthusiasm and long-term vision, Director Luu Lap Duc and Agri Duc Tien Company are lighting up hope for a modern agriculture, affirming the position of ethnic minority entrepreneurs in the country’s overall economic development flow./.