Farmers engaging in circular economy

Instead of burning straw or banana stalks after harvest, many farmers in the province are utilizing these by-products to produce organic fertilizer and grow mushrooms, generating income, reducing costs, and contributing to the development of circular agriculture and emission reduction.

Mr. Le Thanh Vu's family grows flowers for Tet (Lunar New Year) sales using straw and rice husks they compost at home after a mushroom harvest. Photo: AN LAM

In U Minh Thuong commune, Ms. Tran Thi Vy, Director of the Kenh 10 Agricultural Production and Service Cooperative, said that since the beginning of 2024, the cooperative has received a technology transfer from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade for producing liquid organic fertilizer from by-products in banana fiber production. After 18 months of implementation, the cooperative successfully produced 2,000 liters of liquid organic fertilizer, supplying it to members for use on various crops such as pineapples, yams, taro, and bananas. “The results show that the plants grow well, the tubers are larger, the bananas grow healthily, and pest and disease damage is reduced compared to when using chemical fertilizers before,” Ms. Vy said.

According to Ms. Vy, the biggest benefit is the significant reduction in production costs. Through pilot models, liquid organic fertilizer from banana plants helps farmers reduce fertilizer costs by 90% compared to using chemical fertilizers. For dwarf taro crops, farmers previously had to use urea and DAP fertilizers at a cost of about 3.8 million VND per 1,000m² plot of land. Meanwhile, just 4 liters of concentrated organic fertilizer from banana plants mixed with 800 liters of water is enough for the entire production season, with a total cost of about 400,000 VND.

Currently, the cooperative is continuing to produce 2,000 liters of liquid organic fertilizer, expected to be completed in September 2026, and is proceeding with the procedures to bring the product to market. With over 2,700 hectares of banana plantations in the U Minh Thuong buffer zone, the supply of banana stems is abundant, sufficient to produce hundreds of thousands of liters of organic fertilizer annually.

Not only banana stalks, but also rice straw after harvest is being effectively utilized by many farmers to increase its value. With 30 acres of rice fields, Mr. Le Thanh Vu's family in Chau Thanh commune has a large amount of rice straw left in the fields each harvest season. "Previously, I used to burn the straw or let it decompose naturally, which was wasteful and polluted the soil, increasing the cost of treating organic poisoning for the next crop," Mr. Vu said. Recognizing the value of this readily available resource, he researched the model of growing straw mushrooms. To date, after nearly 10 years, his family's straw mushroom farming model has developed steadily. Each season, he harvests 1-1.2 tons of straw mushrooms, selling them at 50,000-60,000 VND/kg. After deducting expenses, he earns a profit of 15 million VND per season.

Not stopping there, Mr. Vu continued to utilize the straw left over after mushroom cultivation to make organic fertilizer for growing flowers for sale during Tet (Lunar New Year). By proactively securing a local source of straw fertilizer, Mr. Vu saved 50% on production costs. Selling approximately 10,000 flower pots each year, his family earns a profit of 100 million VND.

Utilizing agricultural by-products not only benefits individual households but also holds significant importance for the goal of developing green agriculture. According to the provincial agricultural sector, with 1.3 million hectares of rice cultivation, the province produces approximately 7 million tons of straw per year. If collected, managed, and used effectively, this by-product can form a new value chain, from producing organic fertilizer and cultivating mushrooms to making animal feed and supplying raw materials for the processing industry. This is also one of the important solutions to reduce environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Plan for 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030.

AN LAM

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/nong-dan-lam-kinh-te-tuan-hoan-a487754.html