Technical Procedure Collection and Processing of Dragon Fruit by-Products for Organic Fertilizer Production
In Bình Thuận Province, as dragon fruit cultivation continues to expand, agricultural waste and by-products have become increasingly problematic, often serving as potential sources of disease transmission in dragon fruit orchards. Farmers currently lack effective methods for handling or recycling these residues. During 2021–2023, the Bình Thuận Provincial Agricultural Extension Center introduced several techniques for managing dragon fruit branches and stems. However, the results were limited due to the absence of standardized procedures and suitable microbial strains for effective decomposition. In 2025, the RATES project launched a technical transfer program on the collection and processing of dragon fruit by-products, based on farmers’ needs and proposals, as a follow-up initiative to the integrated snail management program implemented in 2024. The program aims to establish demonstration models, refine and transfer technologies to farmers, helping them reduce production costs by recycling by-products into organic fertilizers, minimize environmental pollution, and gradually introduce circular economy practices — a key component of the Vietnamese Government’s agricultural development agenda for 2024–2030.