We want to spread Japanese farming technology and our own products in Vietnam

Q.Why did your company decide to take on interns? What did you aim to achieve?

Our company was established in 1916 as a seed and seedling (nursery) company. We started out as a cultivation farm specializing in watermelon, and now we are researching and improving varieties of watermelon and melon. Until now business has mainly been developed in the domestic market, however due to saturation of the domestic market and impact from the decline in agricultural producers, we are feeling the need to develop our business overseas. As a result of conducting local field visits and gathering information from related institutions, we learned that Japanese technology has already spread to China and Korea. At the same time, Japanese technology is only beginning to spread in Vietnam which is currently growing rapidly, and we perceived potential for new business. In order to pursue business development in Vietnam efficiently, we believe personnel having specialized knowledge in the agricultural field is required, so we decided to apply to this program. Then, we decided to accept an intern from a university in Vietnam who is majoring in agronomical biotechnology.

Learned about melon cultivation technology, and based on hands on experience, created a “cultivation manual’ in Vietnamese and English

Q.What kind of internship did you run? What difficulties did you face and how did you resolve them?

In developing business in Vietnam, even if we brought in seedlings from our own products, there are no technicians knowledgeable in melon cultivation, so we felt limitations to developing the business. Therefore, we made a cultivation manual in Vietnamese, planning to export both our own products and cultivation know-how. Toward this end, first we had the intern learn about melon cultivation and management technology through hands on experience. At that time, we also explained theoretical matters such as knowledge concerning the physiological ecology of melons and the objectives of production processes and why they are needed etc. Based on what he had learned, we asked the intern to prepare a cultivation manual in Vietnamese and English. This was not simply translating the existing manual, but making a proper manual incorporating the knowledge and technology learned through hands on experience. The completed cultivation manual was more wonderful than we had imagined. Using photos and drawings, the detailed flow from soil preparation to cultivation and harvest was extremely well summarized and easy to understand.
Additionally, twice a week, he conducted English lessons to convey the enjoyment of speaking English to employees who had always felt reluctant.

We built the foundation for developing new sales channels, and we have made a major step forward toward securing overseas customers

Q.Comparing before and after the internship, what effects did it have on you, your employees, or your organization?

Through this internship, we built the foundation for developing new sales channels which had previously not been possible, and we believe we have made a major step forward toward securing overseas customers. The level of the cultivation manual created by the intern is extremely high and can be used immediately for actual work, and the structure for exporting our own products together with cultivation know-how was established.
Also, the intern was interested in a variety of activities, and his proactive stance on challenging various things was a good inspiration particularly for employees of the same generation. Employees gained a valuable opportunity to speak English almost every day, and we were surprised by the change of heart of those previously reluctant to try to communicate in English. The intern coming filled the company with vitality and had a very positive effect.
In this short period, there were successes both on the business development front, as well as the aspect of reforming employee awareness, marking a major step forward toward overseas development going forward.