Mr. Nguyen Ha Thien has successfully produced organic fertilizer from chicken feathers.
In 2021, Nguyen Ha Thien accepted a job collecting chicken feathers for a trader in Can Tho to export to China. Initially, the business went smoothly, but soon after, the partner began to pressure him on price. With the unsold inventory, Thien faced a dilemma: give up or find a new direction.
While struggling to find a market for his products, he took the remaining chicken feathers to sell to kumquat, apricot, and organic vegetable growers in Hoi An. Surprisingly, many people accepted them and used them as a supplemental nitrogen fertilizer for their plants. It was through these conversations with the growers that he began to learn more about the uses of chicken feathers.
"Chicken feathers are indeed rich in protein, but if left as they are, they pose many risks of bacterial growth, foul odors, and even root burn, harming plants. Therefore, I was determined to research and create a product with my own brand," Thien recalled.
Without hesitation, Thien began experimenting with different composting methods. The first time, he dried and ground chicken feathers into powder. However, chicken feathers contain a lot of protein, so high temperatures would produce biogas without removing the moisture. This attempt was a failure.
Undeterred, he continued to try the traditional method of composting chicken feathers – using ash, rice husks, and rice bran mixed with probiotics. This time, the resulting product contained many beneficial microorganisms, which helped improve the soil and nourish the roots. However, the foul odor became a barrier, making it difficult for the product to reach the market.
After purchasing the chicken feathers, Mr. Thien ferments them using his own formula for about 30-50 days.
Every beginning is difficult, so Thien continued to spend time researching useful information on social media for his next experiments. Despite trying many different methods, success was still elusive; every time something failed, he would try again. Many times, friends and family tried to dissuade him, but he remained determined to continue his journey.
By chance, he came across information about farmers using rice husks and rice bran mixed with manure and composted to fertilize rice crops. He tried applying this method to compost chicken feathers into organic fertilizer.
The chicken feathers are drained of water, then mixed with rice husks, bran powder, and various probiotics. Thien experimented many times with different ingredient ratios and types of probiotics to find the most suitable formula.
According to Mr. Thien, the mixture is considered ready when chicken feathers make up about 70%, with the remainder consisting of rice husks, rice bran, and probiotics. After mixing thoroughly, he ferments it for 30 to 50 days until the chicken feathers are completely decomposed. Compared to the drying method, this traditional fermentation method reduces unpleasant odors by up to 80%.
Once the mixture has decomposed, he lets it dry naturally, then grinds it into a fine powder and compresses it into pellets. Through experiments, organic fertilizer made from chicken feathers has shown that it helps plants grow exceptionally well, especially increasing yield and plant resistance.
According to Mr. Thien, besides nourishing plants, organic fertilizer made from chicken feathers also helps revitalize poor soil. This type of fertilizer stimulates the growth of earthworms – an important factor in loosening and improving agricultural soil.
"Although there's still a slight odor when applied directly to the surface, it completely disappears after about 4 hours of exposure to air. For best results, users should loosen the soil, spread the fertilizer, and then cover it with soil again," Mr. Thien shared.
Mr. Thien's fertilizer product made from chicken feathers has been sold in the markets of Quang Nam, Da Nang , and the Central Highlands region.
Currently, Thien's organic fertilizer production facility is located in the industrial cluster planning area of Duy Nghia commune (Duy Xuyen district), with an investment of over 1.5 billion VND and a closed-loop process. Each day, he purchases an average of 1.7 tons of chicken feathers from approximately 30 slaughterhouses in Da Nang and Quang Nam .
From those raw materials, he produces 30-50 tons of compressed fertilizer pellets each month, supplying regularly to farms growing apricot blossoms, kumquats, and organic vegetables throughout Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands. With monthly revenue exceeding 200 million VND, his organic fertilizer products are always in high demand. Furthermore, his family's business provides stable employment for several local workers.
Mr. Thien plans to invest in additional insulated drying systems next year and expand the scale of operations to meet the growing market demand.
"Organic fertilizer made from chicken feathers not only provides nitrogen for plants but also helps loosen the soil and increase beneficial microorganisms. What makes me happiest is transforming something that used to cause pollution into a product useful for clean agriculture. Currently, the market for this fertilizer is stable, and many people prefer it because of its affordable price and multiple uses," Thien shared.
Source: https://baodantoc.vn/long-ga-cung-thanh-vang-nau-cho-dat-1747033814115.htm
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