Earning billions each year from the Spirulina farming model

From will to success

Spirulina is a favorite nutritious food in the world and has long been known as a Japanese product. However, with determination, Ms. Dinh Nguyen Hoang Thu (35 years old, residing in An Hai Dong ward, Son Tra district, Da Nang city) brought Spirulina to Vietnam and successfully cultivated it right in her homeland.

Ms. Thu knew about Spirulina while searching for food supplements to support her grandfather's health. After a period of use, her grandfather's health improved significantly, so Ms. Thu realized the great potential of this type of algae. In 2016, Ms. Thu decided to start growing Spirulina at home.

According to Ms. Thu, the testing process was not easy. Initially, she used 50 m² on the terrace for algae growing. However, due to lack of experience, the initial amount of algae was mostly damaged and died en masse. "The damage when first planted was hundreds of millions of dong. Instead of giving up, I persevered to research and learn from domestic and foreign experts and applied high technology to improve the farming process," said Ms. Thu.

After 2 years, Ms. Thu succeeded in propagating Spirulina and launched the fresh Spirulina product. Sharing about her experience in algae farming, Ms. Thu said that when she propagates and reaches a certain amount of algae, she will bring it to a commercial pond to raise. After a period of 30 days, harvesting will be carried out once. Each 20 m² of pond yields about 10–20 kg of fresh algae, depending on the season and temperature.

The ideal water temperature for algae growth is 32–35 °C. If the temperature drops below 17°C, algae will stop growing. On the contrary, when it is too hot, the algae will turn yellow and die. Spirulina is a single-celled organism, so it is very sensitive and easily affected by environmental factors and temperature.

Besides, it is necessary to flexibly combine closed and open farming, apply automatic high technology, and equip nets against insects and dust to bring clean, high-yield products. Thanks to her unremitting efforts, Ms. Thu succeeded in breeding and producing fresh Spirulina, opening a new turning point for the model and becoming a pioneer in this field in Da Nang city.

Developing product diversely

Currently, Ms. Thu not only creates fresh Spirulina products but also builds a clean algae brand, meeting domestic and international consumption needs. In 2019, she established Viet Sun High-Tech Cooperative with seven members and an initial capital of VND 200 million. Ms. Thu holds the role of Director, orienting product development of the Cooperative.

After a period of development, Spirulina products of Viet Sun High-Tech Cooperative have received many prestigious awards, such as the "freeze-dried pure Spirulina" product, which achieved 4-star OCOP certification and was honored as a typical agricultural and rural product of Da Nang city. In particular, the project "Application of OCP (convective air drying) technology in the clean spirulina farming model" won an award from the Vietnam Women's Union.

At Viet Sun High-Tech Cooperative, Spirulina is diversely developed with more than 10 different types of products, including fresh algae, freeze-dried algae, algae masks, algae cakes, etc. Selling prices range from VND 40,000 to VND 600,000 depending on type. The product is processed into many forms, from fresh to dry powder, retaining its high nutritional value and meeting the needs of modern consumers.

In addition to developing nutritious food products, Ms. Thu also introduces an algae farming model combined with experiential tourism, helping tourists learn about the production process and the importance of Spirulina for health. This is a novel strategy that not only helps the Da Nang Spirulina brand become well-known but also creates new opportunities for local economic development.

The Cooperative's products are now present in many clean food stores nationwide, from Da Nang, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City, and are exported to the US and South Korea. Each month, Ms. Thu's Cooperative achieves a revenue of VND 90–100 million while creating jobs for many local workers.

Not only stopping there, Ms. Thu is also researching new product lines from Spirulina, such as clean cosmetics, including facial cleanser and lip balm, which is a trend that is being favored in the market. These products not only help consumers beautify but also protect the skin and prevent aging thanks to the valuable nutrients found in algae.

Regarding future development plans, Ms. Thu said that the Cooperative will continue to expand production scale to meet the increasing needs of the domestic and international markets. She also expects that in the coming years, Vietnamese Spirulina will become a prominent brand, not only in major domestic markets but also reaching out to the world.