Nghe An farmers go to the fields to collect 'dry food' for livestock

During these hot days, in the fields where the spring rice harvest has just been completed, besides the smoke rising from burning straw, Nghe An farmers have taken the opportunity to go down to the fields to collect dry straw.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Binh in Minh Son commune (Do Luong) and his family members collect straw in the fields. He said that during these hot days, his family drives an ox cart to the fields every day to collect straw, because the weather is hot and the straw is no longer wet. For the past 3 days, his family has been able to collect 2-3 ox carts of straw every day. To carry a lot of straw, they use sticks to tie it up to 1.5m high on the ox cart.

“The family always raises 2-3 beef cows. To ensure a year-round food supply for the cows, in addition to the family's 4 sao of rice fields, which have all the straw collected, the family also asks for straw from many other fields in the commune. The straw is dried right in the field, and when transported, it is simply put in the straw house, without having to dry it again. To keep the straw dry all year round and not wet, the straw house has a roof that ensures it does not leak or get rained on. Thanks to that, the cows always have enough food, especially during stormy, cold weather, and they do not have to worry about going hungry,” Mr. Binh shared.

For Mr. Thai Van Lam's family in Thanh Phong commune (Thanh Chuong), collecting straw after harvest is not only to store "dry food" for the family's buffalo and cows, but also to use straw to cover the beds for growing vegetables, or to cover the roots of fruit trees with straw to keep the soil moist, limit weed growth and make the soil more porous.

To collect a lot of straw in the hot weather, it requires the cooperation of many people. Therefore, all family members are mobilized to the field to collect straw urgently to avoid the sun.

Straw is the part of the rice plant, from the top of the straw up. After the rice harvester finishes, the straw is dumped in rows on the stubble, so it is dried in the sun in the field, very quickly drying. When the straw is dry, farmers just need to drive the cart to the field to "stack" it into a pile for easy loading onto the truck.

Although it is only a by-product of rice cultivation, straw has helped farmers feel more secure on rainy, stormy, cold days... as food on the spot for buffaloes and cows. Straw taken from the fields is stored by households in many ways, can be built into a straw pile in the corner of the garden, or bundled into bundles and put in a straw house. Because the straw is dried right in the field, it retains the fragrant scent of rice all year round, and is well preserved so the straw does not rot or mold.

Therefore, during the rice harvest, families with few fields but many buffalo and cows have to go to other families to ask for straw, but have to ask from the beginning of the season so that they do not burn the straw.

According to agricultural experts, one of the most useful ways to handle straw is to use them as animal feed. This is a simple, cost-effective method while still ensuring animal health. Straw is a source of food rich in fiber, helping to improve digestion for livestock.

When selecting straw for animal feed, pay attention to the quality of the straw. The straw must be dry, clean and free of signs of mold or pests.

However, to turn straw into animal feed most effectively, first chop the straw and soak it in water for about 1-2 hours. Then, it can be mixed with other foods to make it easier for animals to digest.

In addition, straw is also used as raw material for growing straw mushrooms, reducing costs and bringing high economic efficiency; Or straw is used as lining material for fragile goods or fruits during transportation, ensuring safety. Therefore, many farmers also collect straw to sell to businesses./.