I am shoveling compost from manure into bags to apply to mango and longan trees in the fields. Before the Li-chăn project’s training in March 2021, we had never composted. After the training, we started to collect the manure of our buffaloes and cows for composting. I take advantage of the available manure and by-products to save on fertiliser expenses.
The compost is porous. Chemical fertilisers are absorbed into the ground and evaporate into the air, leaving the soil dry. And chemical fertilisers are very expensive. Before, nitrogen fertiliser was 80,000 dong (3.5 US dollars) for 10 kilogrammes. The price has now increased to 120,000 dong (5 US dollars).
Narrator and photographer: Quàng Văn Quyền (Thai ethnicity)
Person in the photo: Lường Thị Dung (Thai ethnicity)