Nghe An: Hundreds of tons of agricultural by-products wasted in the fields

Currently, most of the straw after harvest is not collected or used by farmers. Photo: Xuan Hoang

For many years now, due to mechanization in agricultural production, the number of buffaloes and cows raised by the people has gradually decreased, causing farmers to pay less attention to straw after harvesting rice.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa in Dong Ban hamlet, Lang Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) said that in the past, her family raised 1-2 buffaloes and cows for pulling power to serve agricultural production. During the seasonrice harvest, all the family's straw is dried, built into a big tree in the corner of the garden, and used as food for the buffaloes and cows. Now, due to mechanization in the land preparation, harvesting, and transportation stages, the family no longer raises buffaloes and cows for traction, all the straw after harvest is left in the fields.

Observations on newly harvested rice fields in the districts of Yen Thanh, Dien Chau, Do Luong, Nam Dan, Quynh Luu, Tan Ky, etc. show that straw and stubble left in the fields are quite common.

Nghe Anhas a rice cultivation area of ​​over 95,000 hectares, and about 60,000 hectares of corn. Every year, during the harvest season, in addition to some by-products that are collected, processed, and used as animal feed, there is still a large amount of by-products that have not been collected and used.

In recent years, some farmers have collected straw to sell to cattle farms, but the percentage of straw collected is still not high. Photo: Xuan Hoang

According to Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, research shows that on each hectare of rice, the amount of straw is equal to the yield of rice harvested; not including the husk. For corn, the amount of stems and leaves harvested on 1 hectare of corn is twice the yield of corn harvested on that hectare and the corn kernel ratio is 80% of the corn cob, the remaining 20% ​​is corn cob.

Thus, each year Nghe An has a rice output of 920 thousand tons, the amount of straw collected is also equivalent, in addition there are 184 thousand tons of rice husks (rice husks account for 0.2% of rice) and corn output reaches 203 thousand tons, then for corn stalks and leaves there are 406 tons and 40,600 tons of corn cobs.

Of the 920 thousand tons of straw, only 50% is collected for use, 40% is left in the fields and 10% is burned; 100% of the rice husk is collected for use. For corn, 30% of the stalks, leaves and 10% of the cobs arecollection and treatment, used; 60% of the stalks, leaves and 90% of the cores are burned; 10% of the stalks and leaves of the corn plant are left in the field.

For corn, most of it has been collected, processed and used, but 10% of the by-products are still left in the fields. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Straw and corn stalks and leaves, along with someagricultural by-productsOther than that, it is a large source of raw materials for growing mushrooms, producing bio-fertilizers, and making food for cattle... If we know how to take advantage of it, this is both a low-cost source of raw materials and a source of income for farmers.

In fact, some farmers in the province have invested in buying straw collection and bundle machines to sell to livestock farms and mushroom production facilities in and outside the province, but the amount of straw collected after the rice harvest is not much./.