AN GIANG — Nương Farm in An Giang Province uses solar energy to cultivate mushrooms using a circular agricultural model, practices that promote sustainable and efficient farming.Established in 2020 by Châu Thị Nương, director of the Tà Đảnh Agricultural Co-operative, the three-hectare farm in Tịnh Biên Town grows various types of mushrooms like oyster, straw, black termite, lingzhi, and cordyceps.The ethnic Khmer woman conceived the idea during the COVID-19 pandemic as demand for clean foods and medicinal products increased.The farm utilises agricultural by-products such as straw, corn bran and rice bran as a substrate for mushroom cultivation.After harvesting, the leftover substrate is used to raise earthworms, which in turn produce organic fertiliser for rice and vegetable fields.This circular model has reduced production costs by 30 per cent and increased mushroom yields by 40 per cent.Solar panels installed above the mushroom beds help maintain ideal growing conditions by regulating temperatures even when temperatures reach 35 degrees Celsius.The farm now harvests up to three tonnes of black termite mushrooms from 1,000 spawn bags as against the usual 1.5–2 tonnes.It uses solar energy during the day and switches to mains power at night, halving electricity costs. The surplus electricity is sold back to the An Giang Power Company for additional income.Nương is among many women in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta who are applying a solar-powered production model to reduce costs and protect the environment.The model supports sustainable farming and ensures stable power supply, allowing surplus electricity to be sold back to the national grid.In Bạc Liêu Province’s Đông Hải District, Võ Thị Hồng Thoại has adopted solar energy for her traditional anchovy fish sauce production.After working for nearly four decades in the public sector, Thoại retired in 2017.Two years later, she invested VNĐ7 billion (US$270,000) to establish the Vũ Võ Bạc Liêu Joint Stock Company, which now operates a fish sauce production facility with 48 fermentation tanks, each holding 50 tonnes of anchovies.One initial challenge was the production facility’s reliance on the national power grid as fish sauce production requires continuous aeration and mixing, and any power outage disrupts the entire process.Thoại says: “There were times [during outages] we needed up to 30 workers instead of the usual 10. Labour costs spiked while productivity fell.”To address this, she installed a 7MW rooftop solar system in 2020. The results have been excellent, with electricity costs halving from VNĐ18 million ($700) per month and production becoming stable.The solar energy system not only powers the facility but also generates a surplus that is sold to the grid.Female entrepreneurs in the Mekong Delta such as Thoại and Nương have been recognised for their contributions to production initiatives, producing high-quality products and creating jobs.Thoại’s company produces high-quality fish sauces that are sold nationwide.Its Thiên Phú anchovy fish sauce 32N has been recognised as a three-star product under the country’s “One Commune – One Product” programme.Thoại’s company, which also has HACCP and ISO certification for product quality, earned revenues of more than VNĐ1 billion ($39,000) last year.Nương Farm supplies two to three tonnes of mushrooms a month to supermarkets in An Giang and HCM City.Its chemical-free lingzhi mushrooms have also been exported to Japan.The farm provides steady employment for dozens of Khmer women, many aged over 50, and they earn VNĐ250,000-300,000 ($10-12) per day.To promote rooftop solar systems for self-use, the Government issued Decree No. 135 on October 22, 2024, allowing solar power producers to sell surplus electricity – of up to 20 per cent of installed capacity – to the power grid.In the Mekong Delta, authorities are helping women adopt solar energy for agriculture and providing them with training in green technology and financial assistance to install solar systems.In 2021, the An Giang Province Women's Union launched a financing programme to help women adopt solar energy in agriculture and business.— VNS (ICE HO CHI MINH CITY)

Fonte notizia: Vietnam News