Dong ThapOver 30 years of machinery invention, Mr. Phan Tan Banh, 65, is considered a “farmer’s engineer” because they helped them save costs and labor still increased productivity.
Born into a poor farmer’s family, many children in Ba Sao commune, Cao Lanh district, since he was young, he was determined to study to overcome difficulties. In 1980, he became the first student of the Mechanical Engineer commune, Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry and was the pride of the hamlet.
In 1985, he graduated, easy to apply for a state company because the mechanical engineer at that time was only counted on the fingers. After 5 years, realizing that the working environment was inappropriate, he left the office. From the borrowed capital of his brother, the 30 -year -old young man opened a small mechanical shop in Dong Thap Muoi.
The workshop is only enough to buy an diesel engine, generator, mechanical drilling machine, welding, and small repair for farmers in the region. “Welding is finished, having to rotate the diesel 2-3 times, the ribs in the evening painless,” he recalled. Despite hardships, the profit was only enough to live, but he did not give up. Day by day contact, applying what he learned, he found himself “burned” with passion.
Mr. Phan Tan braided (left) to pass knowledge to workers in the workshop. Image: Ngoc Tai
Seeing that farmers complain about the water to wait for the water to sprint. The pump completely replaces human strength, helps the farmer take the initiative to fall down and remove water quickly, save crops.
After that, he improved smaller rice barrels but more productivity, low price for farmers with less capital. From the experience of repairing the 5 -year -old rice barrel, he knows which part is easy to fail, which can be improved and the concerns of the owner when bogged down, the big machine is very hard.
He made a plucking barrel size of only half the market, but smooth operation, clean rice, very little loss. The joy of the engineer was buried, because the machine was difficult to sell. People prefer the brand of the factory.
Undeterred, he organized rice -plucking sessions for people to witness firsthand. Since then, many field owners trust and buy trials. He decided to sell for only 30%, thorough warranty, to express his gratitude to the person who put his faith in the start -up product. Also from here, he confidently named Phan Tan for the models he made.
The good sound was far away, Phan Tan machine was not enough to sell, a peak for a year he sold more than 100 pieces. In the early 2000s, from the small factory, he expanded many times, establishing a private enterprise, recruiting more than 50 engineers and workers to work.
“Farmers use the whole fortune to buy the machine, how to help them to take capital, there is a motto that I always pursue from the moment is just a small mechanical workshop. Thanks to that, I can stay with my passion,” he braided.
According to Mr. Banh, the characteristics of the mechanical industry are patents, rapid improvement, replaced by a better product. Many of his products quickly dominated the market, sold thousands of machines, broke the Chinese imported machines, but there were also lines that only sold a few and then killed. That motivated him not to “oversleep on victory” but always explore and be creative.
The arm of the rice bag – the new product “out of the furnace” of Mr. Banh helps to hand over labor. Image: Ngoc Tai
Two years ago, after a year of researching, with dozens of failures, he invented the “2 in 1” machine that both spread biological products and buried straw. The machine has a biological structure that handles straw in front, hash behind and buried straw to the ground. The preeminent solution is handled by straw right in the field, without burning, causing greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, straw can be treated immediately after harvesting rice, biological products decomposes straw into organic matter, shortening the time between the two crops from 5-10 days.
“Then a farmer showed me the solution to burying straw to save 30-40% of fertilizer, reducing 2-3 spraying while yield increased by 20%. That was very happy because my products helped people,” he said.
Another new product of Mr. Banh is that the rice bag has solved the problem of lack of labor in agriculture, especially young labor. Instead of 3-5 strong workers who follow the rice tractor to carry the porter, the rice grabbing only needs two people, including the elderly and women who exempt and control the machine and the ingenuity to navigate the hand to pick up.
Not only serving Vietnamese farmers, in the last two years, he exported more than 250 machines to the Philippines and Cambodia. Dozens of years of inventing machines for farmers, what he felt most happy was Phan Tan Machine presented in the fields, from inside to abroad.
“My device, looking from afar, I know immediately. I am proud of Vietnamese engineers manufacturing machines for Vietnamese farmers and other countries,” he said, adding that the invention, with me also had another joy that created jobs for more than 100 workers who were young people in the region.
The biological products combined with hash, buried straw straw to participate in the project of one million hectares of high quality rice, performed in Hon Dat district, Kien Giang. Image: Ngoc Tai
Many of his inventions won the provincial-level science and technology creation such as: The dryer won the first prize at the Dong Thap Science and Technology Innovation Contest in 2002-2003; The collection and plucking machine with the special prize in the 2006-2007 contest, the combined harvester of PT-19 prizes, the contest in 2008-2009.
His straw roller is granted by the Intellectual Property Department with exclusive solutions, and voted as a typical national agricultural product of 2017.
Many machines such as straw rollers, rice -grabbing arms, bio -products, and straw -burying straw of Phan Tan have been selected to participate in the project of one million hectares of high quality rice implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and western provinces.
At the age of 65, Mr. Banh always found the idea of manufacturing machines from the reality of farmers. Whenever the farmer had difficulty, he immediately put “topic” and find solutions. It is also the joy of old age when the business has been handed over to the next generations.
Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dong Thap Le Chi Thien said that his patents of machinery are highly appreciated for its practicality and efficiency, helping farmers and agricultural sectors to promote mechanization, release labor, and raise income for farmers.
Mr. Thien is also particularly impressed with the “2 in 1” machine – spreading biological products, burying Phan Tan straw, because it is very practical and suitable for the project of one million hectares of high quality rice. “In the near future, the Department will order more products of Uncle Banh,” he said.
Ngoc Tai