On 21 February 2023, under a marquee in Quảng Nam, the conference screen showed two logos: Minh Tam Agricultural Development JSC and the Soils and Fertilizers Research Institute (SFRI). It was the kick-off conference for the project “Applying science and technology to build production models for organic growing media and microbial fertilisers for forestry, medicinal and ornamental plants in Quảng Nam Province”, part of the Rural and Mountainous Areas Programme. For Minh Tâm, it was a chance to bring its fertiliser-making experience to organic growing media and microbial fertiliser, together with a research institute specialising in soils and fertilisers.
What does the project set out to do?
The title says it all: to apply science and technology to build production models for two inputs, organic growing media and microbial fertiliser, and then use them on three groups of crops in Quảng Nam: forestry plants, medicinal plants, and flowers and ornamentals.
The project has these main strands, one leading to the next:
Technical training in culturing microorganisms, operating fermentation equipment and mixing growing media, held in Hà Nội and in Quảng Nam;
Producing growing media and microbial fertiliser from checked microbial strains;
Building demonstration models for medicinal plants and for flowers and ornamentals;
Training sessions and workshops to hand the methods over to local growers.
What is the Rural and Mountainous Areas Programme?
It is the short name for the programme “Supporting the application and transfer of scientific and technological advances to promote socio-economic development in rural, mountainous and ethnic-minority areas, 2016–2025”, approved by the Prime Minister in Decision 1747/QĐ-TTg of 13 October 2015. The programme helps bring suitable scientific and technological advances into production in rural, mountainous and ethnic-minority areas.
Public records on the National E-Procurement System show that the project's purchases use the central science and technology budget and Quảng Nam Province's science and technology budget, with Minh Tâm as investor and procuring entity.
Two organisations, one goal
SFRI is a research institute for soils and fertilisers under the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Minh Tâm brings its experience of making fertilisers at its factory in Quế Cường Industrial Cluster, operating since 2019. In its own profile, Minh Tâm names growing media for Ngọc Linh ginseng, medicinal plants, flowers and ornamentals as one of its directions, alongside organic fertiliser and seed.
The same day: a growing-media project for Ngọc Linh ginseng
The conference also presented the project “Refining the production and use of an organic base medium and functional microbial products for Ngọc Linh ginseng, for seedling production and industrial-scale cultivation in Quảng Nam and Kon Tum”, led by SFRI. The two projects share one direction: using organic growing media and beneficial microbes to serve high-value crops.
What has the project done?
Training: practical sessions in microbial culture in a laminar-flow hood, fermentation equipment and media mixing in Hà Nội and Quảng Nam.
2024, equipment and materials: a fine-powder growing-media line, an organic-material shredder, a 100-litre microbial fermentation system, pre-processed peat, and chemicals and tools, bought through online competitive quotations.
The first production batch: growing media and microbial fertiliser from “batch 1, lot 0”.
End of 2024: chrysanthemum plantlets, lily bulbs and kumquat seedlings bought for the project.
2024–2025: a ba kích model in Agrồng village, A Tiêng commune, Tây Giang district (names before July 2025) and a flower and ornamental model.
November 2025: a workshop in Hội An Tây evaluating the use of organic growing media and microbial fertiliser in flower and ornamental growing.
Key facts
Kick-off conference: 21 February 2023, Quảng Nam.
Implemented by: Minh Tam Agricultural Development JSC and the Soils and Fertilizers Research Institute.
Part of the programme supporting the application and transfer of scientific and technological advances in rural, mountainous and ethnic-minority areas, 2016–2025.
Target crops: forestry plants, medicinal plants, flowers and ornamentals.
Period: 2023–2025.
See all the project photos on the page Organic growing media and microbial fertiliser production in Quảng Nam. Cooperatives, local authorities and companies interested in growing media and microbial fertiliser are welcome to contact Minh Tâm through the Contact page or on the hotline 0812 492 555.
Sources: Minh Tâm project records; Decision 1747/QĐ-TTg of 13 October 2015; National E-Procurement System (muasamcong.mof.gov.vn), tender notices IB2400170232 and IB2400448933.
