On 5th September, Mekong Organics and SOFRI (Southern Horticultural Research Institute) co-hosted the first seminar on Organic Orchard Management & Organic Certification, delivered by Mr Alan Broughton, an organic educator for Mekong Organics. This is the starting point for further collaboration between the two organisations in the Mekong Delta to promote safe and sustainable fruit production for humans and the ecosystem. The event is designed for SOFRI researchers and horticultural farmers in Dong Thap province.

🌱 Training Agenda

Organic Orchard Management & Organic Certification
📅 Friday, 05 September 2025
📍 Southern Horticultural Research Institute (SOFRI)
👨‍🏫 Trainer: Alan Broughton – Principal Organic Educator of Mekong Organics

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Agenda

08:30 – 09:00 | Welcome & Introductions

• Meet the trainer and participants
• Overview of training goals

09:00 – 10:30 | Growing Organic Fruit

• Principles of organic orchard management
• Building biodiversity in orchards

10:30 – 10:45 | Tea/Coffee Break

10:45 – 12:15 | Biodiversity & Intercropping

• Benefits of biodiversity for orchards
• Ground cover plants and common intercropping models in Vietnam
• Lessons from Africa and Southeast Asia
• Integrating animals into orchards

12:15 – 13:30 | Lunch Break

13:30 – 14:15 | Organic Fertilisers

• Nurse crops for fruit tree establishment
• Composting, worms, black soldier flies
• Brewing liquid fertilisers

14:15 – 15:00 | Pest & Disease Control

• Microbial products available in Vietnam
• Eco-friendly methods for pest and disease management

15:00 – 15:15 | Tea/Coffee Break

15:15 – 16:00 | Organic Certification Pathways

• Certification standards and requirements
• Steps for farmers and cooperatives to achieve organic status

16:00 – 16:30 | Wrap-up & Q&A

• Key takeaways
• Networking and follow-up opportunities

BioAlan Broughton

Mr. Alan Broughton is the Principal Educator in Organic Agriculture for Mekong Organics. Since 2019, he has been actively involved with the Mekong Organics team in designing organic agriculture training materials and delivering voluntary agroecology teaching, both online and face-to-face, for university students, researchers, agricultural staff, and businesses across Vietnam and Cambodia. He has visited many local organic farmers, communities, provincial Departments of Agriculture and Environment, and educational institutions in Vietnam.

In 2024, he co-designed the Australian Organic Study Tour for 19 Vietnamese businesses, farmers, associations, and educators in the organic agriculture sector. Alan previously developed and taught an Organic Agriculture Diploma at a technical college for 15 years. He also worked as a researcher in pasture management at an organic beef farm and is currently a home grower of vegetables and temperate-climate fruits.

Alan has been a member of the Organic Agriculture Association (OAA) for 40 years and currently serves as its President, a regional organisation based in Bairnsdale, eastern Victoria, Australia.

Website of SOFRI – Cây ăn quả