Thua Thien-Hue promotes the adoption of circular agriculture solutions

Applying to join value chain-based linkage models

Five years ago as a role of  the Chairman of Phong Thu People' Committee Nguyen Van Lich was one of the pioneers growing organic food in cooperation with Que Lam Group Joint Stock Company.  However he admitted that at that time he felt a sense of ambiguity because he had never heard of raising animals without offensive smells, without pollution or disease infections and no one here knew that agricultural waste and by-products could be converted into valuable resources. Particularly there was no enterprise committing to buy their commodities for the prices above the market.

In the face of these uncertainties, Nguyen Van Lich led a team of 20 local farm households, making farm tours in many localities to learn about what they were doing. When the team got back home only three farm households including Lich’s family shifting to zero-waste farming system.

At present, Lich is no longer Chairman of Phong Thu People's Committee but owner of one of the largest mixed farms in Phong Dien district which integrates growing crops with breeding animals. It is a typical farm in Thua Thien - Hue.

With the support of Que Lam Group, the National Agricultural Extension Center (NAEC), Lich's family integrated raising pigs with growing Marian plum, green-skin pomelo in a closed farming system. Que Lam Group has helped his family with a loan at zero interest rate, providing him with piglets, feed, technical aids. More importantly, Que Lam committed to buy his commodities for the prices above the market. Thanks to that, Lich could earn a profit of VND500,000-VND800,000 per pig head. He is now boldly expanding the scale of the farm to 10 sows and 100 pigs per year.

In 2019 when the entire Phong Dien district was suffering the African swine fever, the farmers implementing biosecurity measures like Lich were unharmed.

The most obvious benefit of implementing biosecurity measures is healthy environment as the animal waste can be turned into valuable resources.

Apart from rearing pig, Lich has also grown marian plum and green-skin pomelo trees on two hectares of his farm. Previously when Lich had not yet integrated rearing with cultivating he had to spend the amount of VND20 million a year to buy fertilizers for his orchard. With the application of bio-bedding in pig houses, animal waste has become a source of fertilizers. As a result, he could save money and solve the environmental problems.  Alongside with that, the marian plum and pomelo trees grew stronger and were less susceptible to pests and diseases thanks to organic fertilizers from animal droppings.

Like Nguyen Van Lich', Dang Thi Hieu in Thuy Bang commune, Hue City has cooperated with Que Lam Group to developed a model of circular agriculture. From three sows funded at the beginning, Hieu's family has so far raised 15 sows and sold around 200 pigs a year. All waste and by-products created in the pig farm are now treated with probiotics and turned into organic fertilizers for vegetables and fruit trees. As a result, she could earn VND400 million per year with this approach.

Lich and Hieu are the two examples among hundreds of farm households adopting the approach for circular agriculture in Thua Thien - Hue. So far, no one is skeptical about the effectiveness of this farming method which is reflected through the increasing number of farmers applying to the project.

From Hue City, the towns of Huong Tra and Huong Thuy to the mountainous district of A Luoi, each of farm households adopting the approach has become a circular farming system and a miniature microbiological fertilizer plant.

At a recent working session in the presence of the Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam who lead a delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to Thua Thien-Hue, Hoang Hai Minh, Vice Chairman of Thua Thien-Hue People’s Committee said the province in cooperation with Que Lam Group successfully developed value chain-based production linkage model in both animal breeding and crop cultivation. Circular farming system is the approach chosen by Thua Thien- Hue and it will definitely work.

Regarding animal production, Thua Thien – Hue has moved from traditional breeding practices to hi-tech, industrial –scale ones meeting the standards of VietGAP and food safety. Currently the province has 385 animal breeding farms including 10 large-scale pig farms, 60 medium-size facilities and 315 small-scale ones alongside with 150 organic pig farms adopting bio-bedding with 6,000 pigs in total and an organic pig farm breeding 500 piglets.

Regarding crop production, there are now 5,054 hectares of growing crops meeting VietGAP standards and 483 hectares of organic farming in Thua Thien – Hue. Using microorganism for treating straws after harvest has been expanded across the province. According to Hoang Hai Minh, it’s obvious that the province’s political system, cooperatives and farmers have changed their minds over agriculture economy. The circular approach where everything has value and nothing is wasted is guiding Thua Thien-Hue towards sustainable agriculture.

Foundation for building organic farming village

Based on the achieved results, Thua Thien Hue has asked the MARD to choose the province to carry out a pilot project on organic farming village.

Quang Phu commune's authorities ( Quang Dien district) are now encouraging  and mobilizing the popular support for organic farming village project . Obviously, a lot of difficulties are waiting for them ahead. However with the success of value chain-based production linkage model before, Quang Phu authorities are confident that the commune will be the model for expansion across the country.

Nguyen Van Sau, Director of Phu Thuan Agricultural Cooperative said: “The success of value chain-based production linkage model will be the driving force in the approach for circular agriculture, making it a foundation for building organic farming villages.”

“In the future Quang Phu will be a model village with fresh environment, fertile soil, beautiful landscapes, healthy residents and healthy livestock. It will be an ecological village,” said Nguyen Van Sau.

The changes are not only taking place in lowland localities like Quang Phu but also in mountainous districts such as A Luoi. With a willing-to change attitude, authorities and people in A Luoi have made things better together.

After signing cooperation agreement and receiving technologies from Que Lam Group, A Luoi district has successfully developed value chain-based production linkage model for some key crops and animals in the area.

In this model, farmers are provided with seeds, materials, probiotics and the company has committed to buy all produce of farmers starting from the 2020-2021 winter-spring crop. Que Lam chose several farm households in some communes with suitable conditions to carry out organic farming as foundation for circular agriculture economy.

With the support of Que Lam Group, A Luoi now has three organic pig breeding models in A Ngo commune, one model of 10-hectare organic corn cultivation in Quang Nham, nearly one hectare of organic soybean in Son Thuy and 65 hectares of organic rice in Hong Thuy.

Seeing positive changes many farmers in A Luoi have applied to join the project.