After graduating from the Urban Work Construction College, Truong Dinh Tung returned to his hometown and decided to develop his career. In 2015, he heard about a pearl breeding and transplanting model in use in northern Ninh Binh province and conducted a fact-finding tour to learn more. Recognising its promise, Tung decided to implement the model in his own village.
After a year of study, in June 2016 he returned to his hometown to build a pearl farm, with initial capital of 43,000 USD. On an area of 1,800 square metres of water surface, he raised about 10,000 oysters.
He purchased oyster varieties nearby but initially encountered certain difficulties due to weather conditions, so the survival rate of his oysters was only around 50 percent. Having identified the cause and learned from the experience, Tung quickly changed his breeding method to ensure the oysters could live in a suitable environment.
The new feature of this technique is that the oysters are cultured in fresh water, with nucleus transplanted into the seminal vesicles instead of implanting it into the viscera, like saltwater oysters. This method is quite sophisticated, from cleansing the water environment to selecting the appropriate temperature and feed. The technique of transplanting oyster cells is the most complex, as transplanted oysters must be kept in clean water and carefully monitored for 48 hours. Temperatures that are too hot or too cold may kill the oysters.
According to Tung, the water environment in Bac Giang is suitable for freshwater pearl farming, as it is less acidic.
Many local people have visited his pearl farm since 2018 to learn what they can.
The transplantation process involves two main steps – cutting and grafting, which require patience and precision.
Producing beautiful pearls normally takes two years from transplantation to harvesting and each oyster can produce two to four pearls.
According to Tung, the cost for raising and transplanting one oyster is just 1.5 USD but a pearl can fetch up to 35 USD or even 45 USD if especially beautiful.
When his farm is operating smoothly, Tung will invest in modern machinery and focus on the promising domestic market.
With strong determination, Truong Dinh Tung’s model has shown initial success and he has received several awards from the province as well as from the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union./.
