Greetings! My name is Lau and I am 64 years old. I have been gown cacao in Tien Giang region, Vietnam for long time. I have 5 children who are all married and living separately in cities. As such, I grow cacao with my wife Lien. Although we only have a small patch of land with area of 0.8 hectares, we work in our farm from 7AM to 6PM. In particular, we become very busy from September to the end of the year when rainy season begins in order to grow cacao well during the rainy season for good harvest.We grow coconut along with cacao in this small farm. I made several large waterways in the cacao and coconut farm to raise fishes in order to produce 100% organic fertilizers. This is a method I developed on my own while growing cacao for long time. If I produce natural fertilizer by mixing the excretions of fishes in the waterways and sprinkle it on the trees, it prevents damages by blight and harmful insects, thereby needing no other fertilizer. Moreover, coconut trees I planted among the cacao tree produces shades that are highly beneficial for better and healthier growth of cacao tree and fruits.

It has been about 5 years since I worked and traded with Samuel and Vincent of Marou Chocolate since the commencement of business of Marou Chocolate in Vietnam. Samuel and Vincent make sure to visit my farm at least once a month. The process of fermenting and drying well-ripen cacao pod is very important. Marou Chocolate provided support for inadequate fermenting and drying facilities, along with continuous technical educations to assist use to continually produce high quality cacao. The company also purchases cacao that I produced with utmost sincerity at good price. As the company checks cacao together by visiting my home and pays for the cacao it purchases on the spot, I have great deal of trust in trading with Marou. Since Marou pays good price in order for me to produce high quality cacao, there is no need to plant more cacao trees and use agrichemicals for increase in harvest. As Marou teaches us excellent techniques in growing cacao continuously and purchase cacao I harvest at good price, income of cacao farmers with small farms in the village increased as the results of having produced and sold high quality cacao. I am perpetually grateful for Marou for having imparted enormously beneficial influences on our village.It makes be very happy and proud that Vincent and Samuel are making and selling chocolate with wonderful taste with high quality cacao we produced sincerely to the people throughout the world. My wish at the moment is to work longer with good health. I have 2 sons. One has bee farm, and the other lives in close vicinity and is learning how to further develop our cacao farm over the weekends. I am very concerned about multitude of young people in Vietnam leaving farms. It is a great thing that youths in villages can make living in farms by growing cacao. It has been about 5 years since I worked and traded with Samuel and Vincent of Marou Chocolate since the commencement of business of Marou Chocolate in Vietnam. Samuel and Vincent make sure to visit my farm at least once a month. The process of fermenting and drying well-ripen cacao pod is very important. Marou Chocolate provided support for inadequate fermenting and drying facilities, along with continuous technical educations to assist use to continually produce high quality cacao. The company also purchases cacao that I produced with utmost sincerity at good price. As the company checks cacao together by visiting my home and pays for the cacao it purchases on the spot, I have great deal of trust in trading with Marou. Since Marou pays good price in order for me to produce high quality cacao, there is no need to plant more cacao trees and use agrichemicals for increase in harvest. As Marou teaches us excellent techniques in growing cacao continuously and purchase cacao I harvest at good price, income of cacao farmers with small farms in the village increased as the results of having produced and sold high quality cacao. I am perpetually grateful for Marou for having imparted enormously beneficial influences on our village.It makes be very happy and proud that Vincent and Samuel are making and selling chocolate with wonderful taste with high quality cacao we produced sincerely to the people throughout the world. My wish at the moment is to work longer with good health. I have 2 sons. One has bee farm, and the other lives in close vicinity and is learning how to further develop our cacao farm over the weekends. I am very concerned about multitude of young people in Vietnam leaving farms. It is a great thing that youths in villages can make living in farms by growing cacao.