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| Mr. Nguyen Phi Truong with his passion for Hue yellow apricot |
A Path to Prosperity via Pigeon Farming
I first met Mr. Nguyen Phi Truong at 2023 Rural Youth Startup Project Competition organized by the Standing Committee of the Provincial Youth Union (now the Hue Youth Union). At that time, the young man who was born in 1994, won First Prize with his “Hue yellow apricot cultivation” model, a startup idea that proved both feasible and highly effective. In 2025, he again secured First Prize at the Startup Idea Competition for Youth Union members and young people, organized by the Standing Committee of the former Quang Dien District Youth Union.
Carrying Forward a Passion
“Just go to Tan Xuan Lai Village, Quang Dien Commune, and ask locals for Phi Ne garden, they’ll show you the way right to the garden’s gate”. This was what Mr. Nguyen Phi Truong guided me when I set out to visit his Hue yellow apricot garden spanning thousands of square meters.
Explaining the name “Phi Ne”, Mr. Truong said that it was a combination of his and his father’s names, symbolizing a passion passed down through generations. Decades ago, Truong’s father developed a deep fascination with the Hue yellow apricot and began teaching himself how to cultivate and care for the trees in the family garden. From a young age, Truong grew accustomed to tending the apricot trees alongside his father, a shared source of joy for his family.
“Back in high school, I apprenticed in Hue yellow apricot care with a gardener in my family. At the time, it was purely out of personal interest, and I hadn’t considered pursuing it seriously. In 2015, after graduating from Hue College of Education, I joined an event organization company with a relatively high income, but I still felt unfulfilled because I could not live with my true passion,” shared Mr. Truong.
By 2018, Mr. Truong began his startup journey with Hue yellow apricot trees with a determination to build prosperity in his native land. Quang Dien, where the Bo River flows, benefits from annual alluvial deposits that enrich the soil with nutrients, creating ideal conditions for the Hue yellow apricot to thrive.
According to Mr. Nguyen Phi Truong, starting a business with yellow apricot trees poses a major challenge, as the species requires long-term care and cultivation before it can generate high economic value.
Adhering to the motto “using short-term gains to sustain long-term goals”, he initially chose to cultivate saplings of the Hue yellow apricot in the early days of his startup, as they require a shorter care cycle and can be sold in large quantities to generate capital for reinvestment. Once he accumulated some initial funds, he expanded into a wider range of varieties, including bonsai Hue yellow apricot and landscape Hue yellow apricot trees. In particular, he focused on nurturing and shaping bonsai specimens in pots of various designs and sizes, gradually building a reputation within the ornamental apricot community.
“On average, I sell between 8,000 and 12,000 Hue yellow apricot saplings each year to maintain cash flow. Landscape and bonsai Hue yellow apricot trees are in high demand only toward the end of the year, with nearly 150 trees sold annually at prices ranging from a few million to several tens of millions of VND per tree,” shared Mr. Truong.
Not only focusing on quantity, but Mr. Truong also pays special attention to the quality of each tree, guided by the principle that “genuine products create real value”. In addition to learning from experienced predecessors, he joined the Hue Yellow Apricot Association as a Standing Committee Member to share knowledge with others who share the same passion. He also devotes considerable time to studying soil preparation and fertilization techniques from master growers.
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| Meticulously tending each branch of the Hue yellow apricot |
Novel Mindset in the Digital Era
Guiding me on a tour of his family’s garden, Mr. Truong carefully explained each variety of Hue yellow apricot. Through his shares, I learned that in recent years the trade has no longer been as “hot” as before, largely because too many growers have entered the field. Amid growing market competition, Mr. Truong has chosen bonsai Hue yellow apricot as his core product due to strong customer demand and high economic efficiency. This variety also requires significant time and technical expertise to cultivate.
“Although the Hue yellow apricot market has shown signs of slowing down, I believe I can stay with this profession through passion and a serious, dedicated work ethic. There were times when starting out was even more difficult than now, but my family and I overcame them”, shared Mr. Truong.
Recalling the historic floods of 2020, Truong said his nursery of Hue yellow apricot saplings was severely inundated, causing losses of over 200 million VND. Undeterred, in 2023, after securing stable market outlets for his products, he continued investing to expand the garden from 1,000 square meters to 5,000 square meters. At present, Mr. Truong’s garden maintains around 10,000 Hue yellow apricot saplings, 1,000 potted bonsai Hue yellow apricot trees, and approximately 1,500 landscape Hue yellow apricot trees. In addition, an automated irrigation system, net-house structure, perimeter walls, and a camera system have been systematically installed.
Recalling the historic floods of 2020, Truong said his nursery of Hue yellow apricot saplings was severely inundated, causing losses of over 200 million VND. Undeterred, in 2023, after securing stable market outlets for his products, he continued investing to expand the garden from 1,000 square meters to 5,000 square meters. At present, Mr. Truong’s garden maintains around 10,000 Hue yellow apricot saplings, 1,000 potted bonsai Hue yellow apricot trees, and approximately 1,500 landscape Hue yellow apricot trees. In addition, an automated irrigation system, net-house structure, perimeter walls, and a camera system have been systematically installed.
“To date, 80% of my customers come from provinces ranging from Nghe A southward to Danang and Quang Ngai. I plan to further develop product promotion on TikTok to attract more customers. In the digital era, sellers need to grasp customers’ preferences and online shopping habits to adapt and survive,” said Mr. Nguyen Phi Truong.
Each year on average, the model of “Hue yellow apricot” run by Mr. Nguyen Phi Truong records about 600 million VND in revenue, yielding profits of more than 250 million VND, while creating jobs for six permanent employees and 8seasonal workers.