After pouring VND3 billion (US$123,000) into a failed agricultural venture, Cao Van Hung, born in 1993 in Quang Ninh, chose not to walk away. Instead, he began again - this time with a humble plant growing quietly in his greenhouse. Originally trained in electrical engineering and holding a stable job, Hung left everything behind in 2020 to pursue his passion for farming. Together with two friends, he invested heavily in greenhouse cultivation of grapes and clean vegetables.
But after seven months, the entire investment was gone. Monthly earnings barely reached VND3–4 million (US$120–160), far from enough to sustain the project. His partners withdrew. Hung stayed. There were nights he worked until 3am, alone at the farm, as pressure mounted from both financial strain and family concerns. Still, he refused to give up.
The shift came during a harsh winter. While pennywort growing naturally in the fields withered under the cold, the same plant cultivated hydroponically inside Hung's greenhouse thrived - crisp, mild in taste and clean. That contrast changed everything.
He decided to scale up pennywort cultivation, gradually reshaping his entire operation around the crop. Yet just as the model stabilized, disaster struck again in 2024 when Typhoon Yagi destroyed the greenhouse, wiping out the farm completely. Faced with another collapse, Hung chose to rebuild.
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