Vu The Luc and a group of farmers from Dak Lak Province traveled more than 120 kilometers to Le Tung Linh’s pepper garden. Luc says verifying the origin of seedlings is essential before investing in pepper cultivation.
“I've done a lot of research online, but when buying seedlings, I prefer to make a fact-finding visit to make sure they're genuine. My biggest concern is spending money and two or three years of cultivation, only to find out at harvest time that I've bought the wrong variety,” Luc said.
Le Tung Linh Linh shares those concerns. In 2014, while tending his family's pepper garden, Linh discovered a plant with unusual growth characteristics. “I used to grow many different varieties, but when I noticed this plant, I quietly began caring for and propagating it.”
The Tung Linh pepper variety entered the market in 2021.
“It took me six years to propagate the plant and observe its full growth cycle. This pepper variety has a strong root system, grows well and produces high yields,” Linh said.
From a single plant, Linh gradually built a garden that now has around 8,000 pepper vines. In 2023, the Tung Linh pepper plant was officially recognized as a mother plant for propagation. Two years later, his garden was certified as a source of propagation material, with the capacity to supply around 700,000 pepper cuttings a year. The Tung Linh pepper plant has also received a trademark registration certificate from the Ministry of Science and Technology.
For Linh, developing a new pepper variety is only part of his success. Equally important to him is ensuring that farmers have access to genuine planting material. Counterfeit seedlings can cost farmers money, years of work, and valuable farming opportunities.
Nguyen Van Anh, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Truong Xuan Commune in Lam Dong Province, said the locality currently has around 4,500 hectares of pepper plantations. The Tung Linh pepper variety has been monitored at Linh's garden and on local farms where it has been grown over the past three years.
“Mr. Linh has been named one of Vietnam's Outstanding Farmers in 2026. Apart from discovering and propagating a promising pepper variety well suited to the soil and climate conditions of the Central Highlands and other regions, he has also made significant contributions to community and charitable activities,” Van Anh said.
For Linh, success is not simply about improving his own livelihood, but also about helping fellow farmers build confidence and create better livelihoods from the land.
