Nghe An farmers burn straw in the fields: both wasteful and polluting

Every 3-5 pm, the smoke from the fields drifts into residential areas, obscuring traffic, especially in the communes of Tang Thanh, Nam Thanh, Xuan Thanh, and Bac Thanh.

Ms. Tran Thi Mai in Yen Thanh town said: In the afternoon, riding a motorbike along National Highway 7B through Xuan Thanh and Bac Thanh communes, the smoke from burning straw from the fields is both suffocating and obscures visibility, and traffic accidents can happen at any time.

People in Bac Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) burn straw, causing air pollution. Photo: Ho Cac

Ms. Nguyen Thi Phien in Vinh Thanh hamlet, Yen Thanh shared: Our family has 4 sao of rice fields, and in the past, we brought straw home to use as fuel and feed for cattle. Now we don't raise cattle, and we use gas stoves to cook, so after harvesting rice, we have to burn all the straw in the fields. Although we know that burning straw in the fields causes pollution, we don't know what else to do if we don't burn it.

Yen Thanh farmers usually burn for 3-5 hours. Photo: Ho Cac

A representative of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Yen Thanh district added: Every year, Yen Thanh cultivates over 25,000 hectares of rice. Previously, after harvesting rice, people used straw as fuel, food for cattle, mushroom production, and compost.

Especially since 2014, the dairy factory has purchased straw to feed cows, giving farmers a significant additional income. However, this dairy factory is not currently purchasing straw, and many households are not using straw as fuel like before, causing a surplus of straw.

Mr. Nguyen Van Lap - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development admitted: Currently, many localities in the province are burning straw after harvest. Burning straw does more harm than good, as it only quickly clears the field for planting new crops, without the cost of moving, but the ash from straw has little potassium, which is not beneficial for crops. Burning straw also increases toxic gases, affecting the environment and people's health.

Currently, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is directing districts to focus on propaganda among people not to burn straw and corn and peanut by-products... It is recommended that people implement solutions to use straw effectively, such as burying straw in the soil after harvest. In addition to some advantages such as killing weeds, insects, fungi, maintaining the supply of carbon nitrogen in the soil with long-term benefits. In addition to being used as animal feed, growing mushrooms, straw can also be used to cover the soil for growing vegetables, making fertilizer...

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