From Dedication to Kindness

Business Ethics in the Modern Era of Plant Protection Products

I am a young Marketing staff member who often follows the engineers around whenever I am assigned to accompany them on field trips. I go along to film, take photos, and capture moments that even the people involved may not notice. But on some trips, what I bring back is more than footage stored on my phone. I also bring back a story that stays with me long afterward. One such story began when we visited Mr. Son’s garden.

Mr. Son has been growing durian for more than 30 years in the Mekong Delta, a region where people once believed that rice was the only major crop.

Yet, over the years, his durian trees have grown into towering giants, forming a small forest surrounded by hectares of rice fields.

His tanned skin, small stature, and sun-weathered appearance left a lasting impression on me. I have met many farmers during my field trips, but the way Mr. Son welcomed us that day was different. He greeted us as warmly as if we were long-lost family members. As we talked, he led us to the back of his garden, showing us the other fruit trees he had planted among the durian trees. He enthusiastically explained how each tree was growing. Whenever he spotted a ripe fruit, he would pick it for us without hesitation.

Before we had finished talking about the fruit trees, he had already moved on to stories about his neighbors, his family, the fishpond in his garden, and many other things.

I sat in a corner, still holding my camera, but I no longer paid attention to the camera angles. I simply watched the way Mr. Son talked and asked the engineers about their lives. I found myself wondering, “What could make a farmer and people he had initially met only through work become so close?”

Later, the engineers told me how it had all begun many years ago.

Back then, HAI was a company supplying plant protection products, while Mr. Son was a gardener who purchased products from local dealers. One afternoon, while taking his wife to the market, he noticed a group of people gathered by the roadside. He dropped his wife off at the market first, then stopped to see what was happening. Among the group was an engineer talking about crops. Finding the discussion interesting, Mr. Son stayed to listen and asked for a catalog to take home and study.

Mr. Son told us that what he appreciated about the engineers was not the products they sold him. Whenever they visited his garden, they asked how his plants were doing, what the soil was like, and whether he had encountered any problems during the growing season. They then walked around the garden with him to inspect different areas. Having relied largely on his own experience in gardening, he deeply appreciated meeting people who were willing to visit his garden, listen to his concerns, and offer thoughtful, dedicated guidance.

After many visits and conversations, they gradually became close without even realizing it.

The kindness between these people, who had once been strangers, made me reflect on something. Perhaps behind a company's growth are not only quality products or impressive growth figures, but also the way it nurtures people who approach their work with kindness and care for those who walk alongside them.

What I appreciate most is that, in an era of rapidly advancing technology, purchasing a package of plant protection products has become increasingly quick and convenient. Yet HAI continues to embrace a traditional approach, one rooted in genuine dedication. The company invests in its people and product quality, helping farmers address their concerns throughout the growing season rather than simply chasing sales figures.

For farmers like Mr. Son, hardworking and straightforward people who make their living from the land, a package of plant protection products is much more than an item purchased for use. It can be a decision that affects an entire growing season, the result of months of care and hard work, and sometimes the source of income for the whole family. That is why every piece of advice and every product delivered to farmers must be backed by knowledge, careful consideration, and a strong sense of responsibility.

HAI has nurtured these values through its engineers and technical staff. When they trade their white shirts and leather shoes for muddy fields and walk among the crops, farmers do not simply see someone selling plant protection products. They see someone willing to listen, share experiences, and stand alongside them.

Sometimes, this connection takes the form of a quickly prepared glass of sweet iced tea, a few fruits freshly picked from the garden, or a shared meal where conversations seem to have no end. These moments may never appear in a report, nor can they be measured in sales figures, but they reveal so much about the relationships being built.

Perhaps after that trip, I will continue following the engineers on many more field visits. I will still carry my camera, capturing gardens, growing seasons, and the stories of farmers. There may be many more people like Mr. Son, each with a different story that I have yet to discover.

But since that encounter, I have begun paying more attention to what lies beyond the frame. I notice how patiently the engineers listen to farmers' stories, how thoughtfully they ask about their families and everyday concerns, showing a level of care that one might expect only from close relatives.

I believe this is also part of HAI's story, one that I have been fortunate enough to witness through my field trips. A company may be remembered for its products, its figures, or the milestones it achieves along its development journey. But to me, HAI is also shaped by the people who work there, people who bring kindness into every task, every encounter, and every place they visit.

And perhaps these acts of kindness will continue to be passed from one person to another, from the people at HAI to the farmers they accompany along the way.

AUTHOR / SOURCE INFORMATION

Nguyen Thi Hoe – Marketing Staff, HAI Pesticide Joint Stock Company.