Producing biofertilizers from biological products: Farmers are not interested yet

(Baonghean) - Applying the biological product Compost Maker to produce organic microbial fertilizer from agricultural by-products to fertilize crops is a new direction today. While in the market, fertilizers and agricultural materials continuously increase in price, causing farmers to suffer and production losses, this product has been evaluated as a solution to help reduce fertilizer investment costs, increase crop productivity, and move towards sustainable agriculture. However, in many places, farmers are still not interested in applying this technology...

Demonstration model of making bio-fertilizer in Nghia Hanh (Tan Ky).

The successful application of Compost Maker to produce organic microbial fertilizer in the province, carried out by the Nghe An Center for Application of Science and Technology Advances, has created organic fertilizer for production, increasing crop productivity by 15-20%. In order to support funding for purchasing Compost Maker biological products to produce organic microbial fertilizer from agricultural by-products in Nghe An province in the period of 2012 - 2014, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 16/2012/QD-UBND. Accordingly, in 3 years (2012 - 2014), farmers who purchase Compost Maker biological products to produce organic microbial fertilizer will receive financial support. For highland districts: Que Phong, Quy Chau, Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Con Cuong is 70%; 60% for lowland districts: Nghia Dan, Tan Ky, Thai Hoa Town, Quy Hop, Anh Son, Thanh Chuong; 50% for the remaining districts, cities and towns with a stable price of 24,000 VND/kg.

After 2 years of implementation, the Center for Application of Scientific and Technological Advances has produced, trained and instructed farmers in the province on the techniques of producing organic microbial fertilizers. However, currently, only two districts, Anh Son and Tan Ky, annually register and purchase the product to supply to the people with a financial support of more than 271 million VND (2012 - 2013). Up to now, the center has supplied 26,340 kg of the product to the people in Anh Son and Tan Ky. Through the Tan Ky District Gardening Association, the method of producing organic microbial fertilizers using Compost Maker as well as the process of applying fertilizer to some of the district's main crops have been transferred to farmers in a hands-on, hands-on manner, learning as much as possible and practicing immediately. In addition, in the first 2 years, Tan Ky district also issued a policy to support farmers with 40% of the cost of purchasing Compost Maker. Thus, in 2012 - 2013, Tan Ky farmers were able to use Compost Maker to produce organic microbial fertilizer completely free of charge.

The family of Ms. Trinh Thi Yen in Hamlet 7, Nghia Hanh Commune, is one of nearly 2,000 households in Tan Ky District that have participated in the production of organic fertilizer from Compost Maker in the past 3 years. Since producing organic fertilizer, Ms. Yen's family has first cleaned up household waste as well as agricultural by-products. The next effect is reducing the cost of buying fertilizer for crops. Previously, with 8 sao of rice fields plus more than 2 mau of land specializing in growing fruit trees including lemon, dragon fruit and vegetables, each year, Ms. Yen's family had to spend no less than 20 million VND on fertilizer, mainly chemical fertilizer. Now, using organic fertilizer has helped her family not only reduce about 2/3 of the cost of fertilizer, but also earn more money thanks to increased crop productivity of 10 - 15%.

If compared to the market, 1 ton of organic fertilizer produced by enterprises costs no less than 2.5 million VND, while 1 ton of fertilizer produced by farmers using Compost Maker biological products and utilizing agricultural by-products only costs from 400,000 to 500,000 VND, the quality is comparable, not to mention superior. Mr. Tran Tu Ba - Vice Chairman of Tan Ky District Gardening Association said: "Most of the district's crop area is hilly land, so solving the problem of barren land is extremely difficult. Using Compost Maker to produce microbial fertilizer helps to improve the soil to be more porous, not degraded like when using chemical fertilizers for a long time; limit pests and diseases, increase crop productivity, especially the district's main crops such as sugarcane and corn from 50 tons to 80 tons/year. However, for this policy to be truly effective, first of all, the functional sectors need to have a closer support mechanism, easy-to-understand and easy-to-follow instruction processes and should continue to extend this support policy in the future."

In Anh Son district, in 2013, the Standing Committee of the Farmers' Association launched a movement to compete in producing biofertilizers and directed farmers to produce over 6,000 tons. A typical example is Hung Son, which currently has 500 hectares of industrial tea. Hung Son Tea Enterprise has supported 40%, the remaining cost of purchasing products for farmers. In 3 years, Hung Son is the leading unit and has produced over 800 tons. Other households, on average, produce 4-5 tons per year to fertilize crops such as in Tho Son, Binh Son, Thanh Son communes and in the first 6 months of 2014, mobilized farmers to produce nearly 2,000 tons. “In previous years, during the dry season like now, the tea hills here often burned dry, the tea plants had no products to harvest. The excessive use of inorganic fertilizers for a long time has made the soil barren. Since being fertilized with organic microbial fertilizers, the soil here has retained moisture, and the tea plants no longer dry out during the dry season. Understanding the effects of Compost Maker in the production of organic microbial fertilizers, since 2009, Hung Son Tea Enterprise has coordinated with the Department of Science and Technology to transfer the production process to farmers, bringing efficiency in cultivation, limiting the phenomenon of wilting and pesticide residues in the soil”, Mr. Nguyen Huu Quy - Deputy Director of Hung Son Tea Enterprise, Anh Son district, shared.

Despite the great benefits, the uncomplicated production process, and the support policies, in reality, in the past 3 years, farmers have not really been interested in producing organic microbial fertilizers from the biological product Compost Maker. The main reason is that farmers still rely on the support of the State, and are afraid of difficulties in the process of receiving and implementing. Hopefully, in the near future, when realizing the real benefits of this product along with the continued timely implementation from the authorities, farmers will respond and proactively approach this effective production method.

Thanh Hoa