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Prof. Nguyen Lan Hung (2nd from left) give farmers in Cat Hai commune some advice. |
I met Nguyen Lan Hung in Quy Nhon on the hottest day in April. “I’ve just visited and given farmers in Cat Hai commune some advice,” he said. “I has only 30 minutes for you for I’m to come to the television station in person at 7 pm to join a live broadcast program entitled Nhip cau nha nong (Bridge for farmers) and I’ll fly to Ha Giang province next morning.”
You are known as the expert helping farmers enrich themselves. Are you a rich man?
Issues on how to help farmers enrich themselves keep me busy all day. If I spend time enriching myself, I surely have no time to help my friends – farmers. Perhaps, I’ll be poor until I die! (he smiled).
Your family members are all famous as leading experts nationwide. Why do you want to be friends with farmers?
My father still wrote a new book at the age of 90 and finished the 2,000-page book when he was 95. He is an example to us all. He taught us how to serve the society with our best.
I studied biology; thus, using biological advances to help farmers is the most suitable choice. When coming to rural areas, I saw farmers having no chances to approach advanced technologies.
You’ve been so familiar on the TV each morning for many years. Do you remember when you was on the TV for the first time?
It might be 30 years ago. I has coordinated with Vietnam Television Station to produce some programs for farmers since 1978-79. I’ve also written many books for farmers. At present, I’ve dreamt of opening a channel.
Are you working in the field of communications?
No. I only want to work as an amateur. I hope there will be a channel for farmers only. Why are there not any programs for farmers in a country in which the number of farmers accounts for 70-80 percent of the whole population?
What will be criteria for the channel?
It must be practical, familiar, and understandable for farmers. When farmers love it, they will follow its instructions. At present, I have only 2 minutes to talk to farmers but I must speak as fast as possible as it’s running out of time. Farmers sometimes, therefore, listened to what said but might not understand.
Has anyone complained about this?
Yes. A viewer in southern province of Tien Giang phoned me, saying that farmers in her place love watching my program. But did they understand, I asked her. “No, they didn’t,” she answered. “But they still like it.”
You have been on TV for many years. How could you spend your time on helping farmers like that whilst you are so busy?
I’m a workaholic. My job is to teach at the university and other associations. I write whenever I can. Also, I myself find material to produce a program each day. I’ve produced 1,000 program entitled “Tips for farmers” so far. At present, I’ve been writing a series of books on 100 trades for farmers. 15 books have been published so far. All are expected to be finished by the occasion of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long.
What is special in these books?
There are many books for farmers but most couldn’t be easy to understand for they were not for farmers actually.
I want to write books for farmers only. The books, thus, must be practical and understandable, making them like to read and use what they read.
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