The urban agriculture sector in Ho Chi Minh City has witnessed a considerable change in recent years, largely due to a policy encouraging the replacement of low-value crops and livestock with more profitable ventures. Orchids and ornamental fish stand out as successful examples, providing farmers with a solid income.
Farmers' low income generated by selling orchids at VND30,000 per pot, coupled with a lack of proactive seed sourcing, motivated Ms. Lieu Thi Kim Phuong to overcome these challenges by founding the Vietnamese Orchid Garden Cooperative in Thu Duc City with 11 collaborators.
In 2020, the Vietnamese Orchid Garden Cooperative was officially established with the goal of advancing the domestic Dendro orchid industry, reducing reliance on imported seeds from Thailand, and better serving local market demands. Despite her strong vision, Ms. Phuong initially faced considerable resistance from both family and friends.
Undeterred, she traveled to Thailand to gain firsth and experience. Today, she has successfully cultivated over 200 orchid varieties, with a particular focus on the Dendro strains.
In addition to traditional sales channels, Ms. Phuong's cooperative has actively expanded into e-commerce, offering custom flower arrangement services and diversifying product designs to better penetrate the market. Online sales primarily feature orchid seedlings and pre-arranged orchid pots.
Making most of digital platforms, the cooperative now distributes its seedling products nationwide and has even reached international customers, including those in Australia. The Vietnamese Orchid Garden Agricultural Cooperative generates annual revenues of billions of Vietnamese dong. In recognition of her contributions, Ms. Phuong was honored as an Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer in 2023. The cooperative was also recognized as one of Vietnam’s 63 exemplary cooperatives in 2024.
The Mokara orchid farm of Mr. Bui Van Cuong in Phuoc Hiep Commune, Cu Chi District, has also achieved remarkable success. With an investment of VND5 billion, the farm follows a closed process and cultivates approximately 120,000 orchid cuttings. After securing preferential capital through Cu Chi outlying district, Mr. Cuong established an orchid garden from which he can harvest and sell around 70,000 orchid stems each month, earning an average of VND150 million in revenue after deducting expenses.
Within Ho Chi Minh City's ornamental fish farming community, Mr. Le Huu Thien in Cu Chi District's Tan Thong Hoi Commune is a well-known figure, recognized not only for his expertise in raising ornamental fish but also as a significant exporter in the city.
Driven by his passion for vibrant and shimmering fish, Mr. Thien recounted his international pursuit of knowledge in ornamental fish farming and trading. He explained that between 2008 and 2010, he made it a point to visit any country renowned for its ornamental fish industry to learn the intricacies of the trade.
In 2012, after gaining sufficient knowledge of ornamental fish rearing, Mr. Thien opened an ornamental fish farm employing 10 workers. The following year, he established Thien Duc Ornamental Biology Joint Stock Company, which employed over 20 regular workers. According to Mr. Thien, ornamental fish farming, regardless of its level of development, remains a hands-on profession that requires physical labor, rather than desk work.
Currently, Mr. Thien's ornamental fish farm is famous for 3 types of ornamental fish, which are discus fish, king neon fish and rummy-nose tetra. Discus fish and king neon have been recognized as typical agricultural products of Ho Chi Minh City.
To date, Thien Duc Ornamental Plants Joint Stock Company has successfully established and expanded its ornamental fish brand across multiple countries. Each year, the company sells up to 2 million ornamental fish with over 50 distinct species.
In addition, Saigon Ornamental Plants Cooperative in Cu Chi District stands as a prominent player in Southern Vietnam’s ornamental fish farming industry. The cooperative manages more than 15 hectares dedicated to a wide variety of ornamental fish.
Each month, the cooperative exports about 1 million ornamental fish, earning about US$5 million each year. Leader of Saigon Ornamental Plants Cooperative Hoang Thi Hue said that ornamental fish is a very new economic sector, bringing high economic efficiency, suitable for the urban agricultural development orientation of Ho Chi Minh City.
This sector generates valuable economic benefits, primarily through exports that earn foreign currency.
The cooperative is carrying out activities to support its members such as providing materials and breeds, supporting ornamental fish farming techniques, importing new fish breeds for domestication and supplying to members, and consuming ornamental fish. Thanks to a large supply and guaranteed quality, the cooperative's market is increasingly expanding to many countries around the world such as Singapore, Thailand, Korea, and Japan.
Vice President of the Vietnam Ornamental Plants Association Nguyen Van Phung stated that ornamental plant production is a major contributor to the city's agricultural growth. Not only does it meet domestic demand, but it also generates significant foreign currency through exports.
Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Xuan Hoang said that Ho Chi Minh City will research and apply biotechnology to produce high-quality and high-yield plant and animal varieties, gradually becoming the center of plant and animal varieties in the region.
Ho Chi Minh City's ornamental fish farming sector, as reported by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, spans about 90 hectares and involves close to 300 operations. While present in several districts including Binh Chanh, Cu Chi, Hoc Mon, and Go Vap, the industry is largely centered in Binh Chanh and Cu Chi, which together command approximately 80 percent of the market. The city's production in 2024 reached nearly 120 million ornamental fish, with exports hitting almost 15 million, generating over $13 million in value.
