Efficiency from closed-loop farm models

In the context of high prices of agricultural materials and animal feed, the use of waste from farming and livestock farming to recycle for the next production cycle is being chosen by many farm owners in the province. Thereby, it not only reduces input costs, improves economic efficiency, but also contributes to reducing environmental pollution, creating safe products for consumers' health.

Efficiency from closed-loop farm models Big round grapefruits from Mr. Nguyen Xuan Khai's farm in Xuan Thai village, Yen Tho commune (Yen Dinh).

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Khai's Dien Moc An grapefruit farm in Xuan Thai village, Yen Tho commune (Yen Dinh) is known to consumers in and outside the province with the Dien Plus grapefruit brand. Mr. Khai said: In order to supply the market with clean and safe products, 3,000 Dien grapefruit trees are cultivated by him in a natural way (no pesticides, no chemical fertilizers, no herbicides, no chemicals, no stimulants, no digging and hoeing of tree roots, no turning of roots and branches, no sweeping and lime application to tree roots). Thanks to that, in 2020, the farm was granted a national organic certificate for grapefruit fruits and products. Currently, "Moc An Organic Grapefruit" is the first organic grapefruit brand of Thanh Hoa to be introduced to the market.

Sharing his idea of natural farming, Mr. Khai said that it comes from the reality of farmers who are used to using pesticides and abusing chemical fertilizers in agricultural production, which has unintentionally harmed the environment and human health. At the same time, it makes the soil hard and infertile, causing crops to grow and develop poorly and have no productivity. Therefore, choosing natural farming will create a biological buffer for the farm by using leaves and rotten grapefruit as food for microorganisms, worms, and crickets. These microorganisms will help decompose cellulose, dig the soil instead of humans, making the soil loose, porous, and fertile. In this direction, the amount of harvested fruit is only supplied to the market by 50% each year, the rest is used as fertilizer for plants. Because according to him, minimizing the products taken out of the farm will ensure that the energy is retained, continuing to participate in the production cycle.

In addition to returning to the soil and trees with the trees and fruits in the farm that conserve energy according to the forest's mechanism, Mr. Khai also uses high-quality organic fertilizer made from mackerel fillets, seaweed, shrimp heads, and fish bones to increase nutrients for the plants, creating sweetness and freshness for the grapefruit.

Applying this farming method, organic products from his family's farm include grapefruit, organic distilled grapefruit flower water, organic grapefruit shampoo gel, mouthwash (made from betel leaf, areca nut and five-color flower essence), lotus shower gel... annually bring in income from several hundred million to billions of VND, creating jobs for 4 workers with an income of 8 million VND/person/month.

Thanks to studying and successfully applying the organic agricultural production process, ecological circulation without waste, Mr. Luong Ngoc Lai's family farm in Tien Hung village, Luan Thanh commune (Thuong Xuan) is currently generating an income of 200 million VND/year. Mr. Lai said: On the family's 4.5ha agricultural land, he has developed economic models such as growing melons in greenhouses, growing citrus fruit trees, building barns, raising 5,000 chickens/batch and 800m2 of earthworm farming. To develop the farm according to a circular, closed model and bring about effective income, he uses chicken manure combined with waste by-products from farming to raise earthworms, taking earthworms to feed chickens and earthworm manure to fertilize plants in the garden.

Thanks to the implementation of a closed, circular process in the production process, his family not only makes the most of the by-products in production, saves production costs, increases income value, but also reduces the amount of waste released into the environment. In particular, because the products are always guaranteed to be of high quality, clean and safe, with nearly 30 tons of chicken meat/year, 6 tons of cantaloupe, 1 ton of various vegetables and many other fruits and vegetables that are well received by consumers, bringing the family a profit of 200 million VND/year.

According to the Thanh Hoa Gardening and Farming Association, there are currently about 100 farms in the province that produce in a closed-loop manner. These farms are currently generating an average income of several hundred million to billions of VND/year. In addition to bringing income value to farm owners, the circular farm model also contributes to creating a closed ecosystem. Therefore, developing circular farms is the right direction in the context of high prices of agricultural materials and animal feed, helping producers reduce input costs and improve economic efficiency. At the same time, it contributes to reducing environmental pollution and creating safe products for consumers' health.

Article and photos: Minh Ly

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