Mr. Nguyen Ha Thien has successfully produced organic fertilizer from chicken feathers.
In 2021, Nguyen Ha Thien agreed to collect chicken feathers for a trader in Can Tho to export to China. At first, the business went smoothly, but not long after, the partner began to squeeze the price. The inventory could not be sold, and Mr. Thien was at a crossroads between giving up or finding a new direction.
During the days of struggling to find an outlet, he brought the remaining chicken feathers to sell to gardeners growing kumquat, apricot, and clean vegetables in Hoi An. Surprisingly, many people accepted and used them as a type of nitrogen fertilizer for plants. It was from these conversations with gardeners that he began to learn more about the uses of chicken feathers.
“Chicken feathers are rich in protein, but if left intact, they can potentially create bacteria, bad odors, and even cause heat to the roots and harm plants. Therefore, I was determined to research and create a product with my own brand,” Thien recalls.
Thinking is doing, Mr. Thien started experimenting with different ways of composting. The first time, he dried and then ground chicken feathers into powder. But chicken feathers contain a lot of protein, so high temperatures would produce biogas but still not remove moisture. This time he considered it a failure.
Undaunted, he continued to try the traditional method of incubating chicken feathers – using ash, rice husks, rice bran mixed with probiotics. This time, the finished product contained many beneficial microorganisms, helping to improve the soil and nourish the roots. However, the bad smell was a barrier that made it difficult for the product to reach the market.
After purchasing, Mr. Thien incubates the chicken feathers according to his own formula for about 30-50 days.
All beginnings are hard, Thien continued to spend time on social networks to find useful information for his next experiments. Although he tried many ways, it was still difficult to succeed, he kept trying again if it failed. Many times, his friends and family advised him, but he was still determined with his journey.
One day, he was lucky enough to find information that farmers used rice husks and rice bran mixed with manure and then composted it to fertilize rice. He tried to use it to compost chicken feathers into organic fertilizer.
The chicken feathers are drained, then mixed with rice husks, bran powder and probiotics. Thien has experimented many times with different ratios of ingredients and types of yeast to find the most suitable formula.
According to Mr. Thien, the mixture meets the standard when chicken feathers account for about 70%, the rest includes rice husks, rice bran and probiotics. After mixing well, he incubates for 30 to 50 days so that the chicken feathers decompose completely. Compared to the drying method, this traditional incubation method helps reduce up to 80% of unpleasant odors.
When the mixture has reached the right level of decomposition, he lets it dry naturally, then puts it in a fine grinder and compresses it into pellets. Through experimentation, organic fertilizer from chicken feathers helps plants grow exceptionally well, especially increasing productivity and resistance for plants.
According to Mr. Thien, in addition to growing plants, organic fertilizer from chicken feathers also helps to revive poor soil. This type of fertilizer stimulates the growth of earthworms - an important factor in loosening and improving cultivated soil.
"Although there is still a slight smell when spread directly on the surface, after only about 4 hours of exposure to air, the odor will completely disappear. For best results, users should dig up the soil, spread the fertilizer, and then cover the soil again," said Mr. Thien.
Mr. Thien's chicken feather fertilizer products have been consumed in the markets of Quang Nam, Da Nang and the Central Highlands region.
Currently, Thien's organic fertilizer factory is located in the industrial cluster planning area of Duy Nghia commune (Duy Xuyen), with an investment of more than 1.5 billion VND with a closed process. Every day, he buys an average of 1.7 tons of chicken feathers from about 30 slaughterhouses in Da Nang and Quang Nam .
From these raw materials, each month he produces 30-50 tons of compressed fertilizer pellets, supplying regularly to farms growing apricot, kumquat and clean vegetables throughout the Central and Central Highlands regions. Revenue reaches over 200 million VND per month, and his facility’s organic fertilizer products are always “out of stock”. In addition, Mr. Thien’s family facility also creates jobs for a number of local workers with stable income.
Mr. Thien plans to invest in additional insulation drying systems next year and expand his scale to meet the growing market demand.
“Organic fertilizer from chicken feathers not only provides nitrogen for plants but also helps loosen the soil and increase beneficial microorganisms. What makes me happiest is turning something that causes pollution into a useful product for clean agriculture. Currently, the output of fertilizer is stable, many people like it because it is affordable and has many uses," Mr. Thien shared.
Source: https://baodantoc.vn/long-ga-cung-thanh-vang-nau-cho-dat-1747033814115.htm
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