'Engineer' in the African field

A new 6-year-old farmer makes rice-based rice-seeding machines running around in the fields. Experts in Africa considered signing a contract to buy the machine immediately. So, they also asked him to take the person to work as a technical advisor.

The hometown is in Lang Bien commune, Thap Muoi district, Dong Thap province, Pham Thanh Liem (36 years old) loves mechanics since childhood. Growing up to get married, he gathered some capital to open a workshop to repair agricultural tools. Hitched plows, plows . your hands are running well!

It took four years to 'replace people'

Then he proceeded to improve China's combine harvester. The original machine is heavy, going down to the field is subsidence, running a few meals is bad, rice is being 'alive' , the straw is stuck in the machine . More expensive parts so everyone is bored. Mr. Liem improved it lighter, the machine ran smoothly, the rice was clean and the straw was not stuck, the field was completely subsided. Relatives love too much to buy.

It was okay but he still didn't see it yet. Because in the field of farming, farmers still have a lot of labor costs such as fertilizing, sowing, spraying . high cost, time and effort. Once, a farmer carried to a rowing machine that was broken and coal: 'Calling a rowing machine but it only has a' machine 'which is a rotating, self-rotating rice storage box, in fact, there is also a' man who replaces the buffalo ', must pull back. If only the machine that I sat on was always there, just need to drive, the machine ran to where it came from. So called a machine! ' . The 'moan' of the farmer made Mr. Liem think.

According to Master Xuan through Africa as a consultant

Listening to Anh Liem, Prof. Dr. Vo Tong Xuan invited him to participate in the project "Helping African farmers grow rice" with the task of providing technical advice on agricultural machines. He scratched his head and shook his head: 'I just finished 6th grade and knew what teacher, it was for engineers to do'. Mr. Xuan said: 'Without a degree, but being able to do the job of an engineer is more than an engineer. I need someone to do the job without the person with a degree '.

In late 2009, Mr. Liem and Mr. Xuan went to Africa to advise Mozambique on agricultural machines. Here, people pointed to huge and heavy John Deere plows like the dream buffalo thanks to Liem's ​​improvement, replacing John Deere's rubber wheels with cages like in Vietnam.'I can't do it because this machine is so heavy' - Mr. Liem refused and described it to Mr. Nuno Unige, director of LAP / Ubuntu Company, about the operation of Vietnamese rice harvester and combine harvesters. Immediately, Mr. Nuno Unige flew to Vietnam, as far as Lang Bien to see the machine.

Arriving at the place, seeing Mr. Liem's ​​50m ² mechanical workshop, there were only a few lathes, welding, etc., Mr. Nuno 'blew' down like being chilled. But when I went out to the field, I saw the sowing machine Thanh Liem in the field, and the rice seedlings were so stubborn and the harvester ran fence, swept the rice in front, throughout the rice behind, he fell in love. Rice collapsed, rice falling machine is also blameless!

Instead of buying John Deere for thousands of dollars, he decided to buy five stoves and five combine harvesters to Mozambique, and asked Mr. Liem to send a good 'expert' to help transfer technology, including rice cultivation techniques. So Mr. Liem sent five "good farmers" through training to Mozambique farmers and workers. He said: 'The African people call us' the engineer'. But these are just farmers who are good at farming and mechanics, and do not have any degree. '

After Mozambique, Sudan's agriculture industry representative (who had not split water at that time) also ordered 10 combine harvester. Put the device away, send the person to be an expert, Mr. Liem also has to calculate how to take spare parts over.'Don't know where to find spare parts. Just months ago, Mozambique had to send people flying thousands of kilometers to Vietnam just to buy . two bullets "- he said.