Thousands of households in Nghe An 'build' straw bales to prevent hunger for buffalo and cows during severe cold

In the villages of the districtQue Phong, observations show that many farmers build straw bales or straw huts in the corner of the garden.

Ms. Lo Thi Lan in Na Pu village (now Thai Phong block) Kim Son town said that her family raised 4 cows, 2 buffaloes and worked 4 sao of rice fields. For the past 2 years, after every rice harvest, the family collected all the rice.straw, dried, and stacked into two stacks right in the garden.

Thanks to that, on rainy or cold days, the buffalo and cows have a reserve food source, do not worry about hunger, and their health is guaranteed. To ensure that the straw does not get wet or moldy, Mrs. Lan uses a plastic sheet to cover the top of the straw so that rainwater cannot seep into the straw.

"Previously, on very cold days, the cows and buffaloes were locked in their pens, but there was no straw, so the family had to go get food from leaves, which was hard work but still not enough for the cows and buffaloes to eat. Since building a large straw pile, the cows and buffaloes go out to the fields to graze during the day, and are fed more straw at night, so the herd grows well. On very cold days, the family no longer has to worry about feeding them," Ms. Lo Thi Lan shared.

Not far away, Mr. Nan Van Ngoc's family raises 3 buffaloes and cultivates 5 sao of rice fields. Unlike other households who build straw stacks, his family built a straw shed covered with cement sheets and covered it tightly around. "Previously, after harvesting rice, no one collected all the straw, but burned it right in the field, causing environmental pollution. Now, every household collects it, so the fields are clean and tidy, buffaloes and cows have a source of dry food reserves, and do not have to worry about hunger and cold like before," said Mr. Nan Van Ngoc.

Muong Noc commune is the locality with the largest rice growing area in Que Phong district. Mr. Tran Diep Trung Duong - Vice Chairman of Muong Noc Commune People's Committee said: After 2 years of propaganda and urging thestraw collection, making straw, making reserve food for buffaloes and cows, most of the livestock households in the commune do. Therefore, up to now, in the commune, there are over 200 households that can make straw, straw sheds, ensuring reserve food for buffaloes and cows.

In 2022, the People's Committee of Que Phong district will carry out propaganda and urge the collection of straw and "building" straw trees as reserve feed for cattle and buffaloes, implemented by the Agricultural Service Center. Accordingly, a survey in early 2022 showed that the whole district has 3,755 livestock households out of a total of 13,175 rice-producing households collecting straw, accounting for 28.5%. Of which, 3,429 households make straw sheds and 326 households make straw trees. After 2 years of implementation, the number of households making straw sheds and straw trees has increased to more than 5,000 households, accounting for about 40%.

Mr. Pham Hoang Mai - Director of the Que Phong District Agricultural Service Center said: At each rice harvest, the unit assigns staff to the grassroots, coordinates with the locality to propagate and urge farmers to collect straw and stubble to make reserve food for cattle. Storing straw in sheds, or "building" straw trees is easy to do, saves space, can be stored for a long time, and is good food for cattle.

"Before building the straw pile, people choose a high, dry location, use a long wooden stick to stick into the ground as a pillar, use bamboo or wood to make a floor 30 - 50cm above the ground, and spread a layer of canvas on the floor. Then, dry straw is spread evenly around the pillar and pressed down layer by layer until the straw reaches the top of the pillar, then covered with a plastic sheet or canvas. The straw pile is usually 3 - 4 m in diameter. When people collect straw, not only does the livestock have a source of food during the cold days, but they also avoid burning straw in the fields, which is wasteful and pollutes the environment," said Mr. Pham Hoang Mai.

According to the people, in the past, cattle and buffalo often died in the cold winter, not only because of the cold weather but also because of hunger due to lack of food reserves. Therefore, the "building" of straw piles that the District People's Committee has directed in the past two years is practical, has been implemented by farmers and changed awareness in animal husbandry./.