Transforming Melaleuca bark into organic fertilizer.

Mr. Tran Minh Phat (fourth from the left) brought his organic fertilizer made from melaleuca bark to the 2023 Agricultural Product Connection and Consumption Festival to introduce and promote his product.

Thanh Hoa district has one of the largest areas of melaleuca plantations in the province. This tree grows quite quickly and tolerates both acidic soil and waterlogging. Melaleuca wood is used for piles in construction, furniture making, and as a raw material for the plywood industry, etc. The bark, however, is only used as fuel and is largely discarded, causing environmental pollution.

Over two years ago, noticing that the local area had a large but wasted supply of melaleuca bark, Mr. Phat came up with the idea of making organic fertilizer from this "waste material." However, when discussing this with several farmers, he received much advice against it because melaleuca bark, when used as fertilizer, can burn the roots and potentially kill the trees.

Undeterred, Mr. Phat continued his research and decided to invest 10 million VND in a machine for shredding melaleuca bark. “I bought the machine from Hanoi . It can shred about 200 kg per hour. After shredding, I compost the bark with chicken manure, cow manure, or biological preparations for 4-6 months to create organic fertilizer. In addition, the shredded bark can be used immediately as a substitute for coconut fiber and rice husk ash, and is especially useful as a biological bedding material in livestock farming,” Mr. Phat explained.

Organic fertilizer made from melaleuca bark helps to loosen and improve soil structure, promoting healthy plant growth, increased resistance, and higher yields. Currently, Mr. Phat is receiving many orders, but production cannot keep up with demand due to recent investment. Therefore, in the future, he will continue to improve equipment and expand production scale to help farmers access affordable, environmentally friendly fertilizers.

Mr. Tran Minh Phat uses organic fertilizer made from melaleuca bark to fertilize his plants.

It is known that Mr. Phat is from Dong Thap province, and he has been living and working in Thanh Hoa district since 2011. Mr. Phat is currently an equipment technician at Thuy Dong Secondary School in Thanh Hoa district and lives in the school's staff housing, so he doesn't have much time or space to produce organic fertilizer. Currently, he only produces it for his own use and fulfills small orders.

“In the future, I will continue to research and improve product quality; at the same time, I will participate in consulting, guidance, and support activities such as logo and packaging design, and promoting the product on social media,... so that the product becomes popular and has a foothold in the market,” Mr. Phat shared.

In current agricultural production, more and more farmers are choosing organic fertilizers made from agricultural by-products to fertilize their crops instead of chemical fertilizers, aiming for clean, safe, and sustainable production. Therefore, transforming melaleuca bark into organic fertilizer is considered a promising direction, helping to bring economic benefits while contributing to reducing environmental pollution.

Minh Tue

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