The Journey of a Construction Student Culturing Pearl Oysters

In modern life, changing jobs is no longer unusual. However, the story of Nguyen Cao Cau, a graduate from Hanoi University of Civil Engineering of giving up an engineer career to pursue his passion for freshwater pearl farming is an inspiring testament to courage, perseverance and desire to explore new horizons.

Trang An Pearl Company's pearls are renowned for their exceptional quality and design

We visited a freshwater pearl farm of Trang An Pearl Co., Ltd, administered by Cau, in Phu Ha village, Khanh An commune, Yen Khanh district (Ninh Binh province). This is becoming a high-class freshwater pearl farming model in Ninh Binh.

Sharing about the pearl farming idea, Cau said: By chance, when meeting an old friend, he was introduced to a very successful pearl farm in Yen Khanh district. Curiously, he decided to visit the farm on his own where he was fascinated by the magical beauty of the sparkling pearls and the interesting cultivation process. The farm owner enthusiastically explained to him how to select the breeds, culture and harvest pearls. He realized that behind the precious pearls was hard work, creativity and patience.

After that visit, he began to seriously think about changing his career. Although his family and friends were surprised and worried, with his passion, Cau decided to study at university on the one hand while researching and studying pearl culture on the other. “This chance completely changed my life. I realized that I could do something different, not only for money but also for the desire to get rich on my homeland,” he said.

After mastering freshwater pearl farming techniques and receiving support from his parents, he started pearl farming when he was a fourth-year student at Hanoi University of Civil Engineering. In early 2017, he boldly rented a 1.5 ha pond outside the Vac River dike in Phu Ha village and spent nearly VND4 billion on pearl farming.

Initially, facing many difficulties, he had to learn every little detail about pearl farming techniques, from choosing breeds and caring for them to preventing diseases and applying control measures. In the early days, he often faced failures when oysters did not grow well or pearls were not of good quality. However, he did not give up and he constantly researched and learned from his predecessors and even attend in-depth training courses on pearl farming. With the knowledge he learned, he applied scientific management methods and improved farming techniques. He redesigned the farming pond system, applied modern technology to water environment control processes, and helped oysters grow better. He also tested and developed new farming methods to improve pearl quality. His tireless efforts began to pay off when the first pearls that met high quality standards were harvested.

In addition to pearl farming, he also expanded into the production and trading of pearl products like jewelry, decorations and handicrafts. The combination of product quality and effective business strategy helped the pearl brand gain acceptance in the market quickly. Currently, Trang An Pearl harvests about 50,000 oysters a year on average, with a successful rate of 90%. Annual revenue is VND5 - 8 billion.

The company invests significantly in its pearl cultivation process

Not only does he develop his own farm but he also wants to help and share experiences with the community. He regularly attends seminars and shares pearl farming techniques with farmers with the same passion. He believes that, with solidarity and mutual support, pearl farming can become an industry that brings stable income and sustainable development to the people of Ninh Binh.

Freshwater oysters are quite easy to raise, Cau said. The Vac River is very suitable for pearl development. If you master pearl farming and implantation techniques, the pearl yield rate will reach 80%. Some species produce beautiful pearls with very high economic value.

Trang An Pearl will continue to complete the pearl processing factory project and cooperate with local farmers to expand the pearl farming area. After harvesting, the company will purchase pearls for processing and export to Japan, South Korea and other markets.

In addition, the company hopes that local agencies and sectors will provide favorable conditions to have the farming area carrying the identity brand of the ancient capital.

By Tran Trang, Vietnam Business Forum