To avoid wasting straw.

SGGP 17/07/2023 07:50

Every year, Vietnam produces 47 million tons of rice straw, with the Mekong Delta alone accounting for over 25 million tons. However, only about 20%-30% of this straw is recovered for use in mushroom cultivation, animal feed, fruit transportation, etc. Utilizing and processing rice straw maximizes the recycling of materials in agricultural production and solves the wasteful practice of burning rice straw.

Scientists have pointed out that the Mekong Delta, with an annual rice harvest of approximately 24 million tons, also generates about 26-27 million tons of rice straw. Currently, about 70% of this straw is burned in the fields or buried in the soil. However, burning straw causes the loss of nutrients, biodiversity, and environmental pollution; while burying straw in flooded fields increases methane and greenhouse gas emissions. This situation shows that specific policies and technical guidelines are needed to manage and utilize rice straw in the Mekong Delta in particular, and in Vietnam in general, in line with circular and low-emission agriculture.

In fact, the practice of farmers burning rice straw after harvest has been a cause for concern for many years. Many solutions have been proposed to curb this, but to date, up to 70% of rice straw is still burned or buried in the ground, with only 30% being collected for use. Scientists believe that the key issue is to utilize all of this rice straw, to turn it into revenue instead of waste, not only generating income for farmers and businesses but also minimizing environmental damage. That is the ultimate goal.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has worked with provinces in the Mekong Delta to soon submit to the Government a plan for 1 million hectares of high-quality rice cultivation, linked to the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam, agricultural by-products are resources that need to be utilized to increase their value and boost income; and this large amount of straw needs to be used to create added value beyond just rice grains.

A positive sign is that recently, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and relevant partners, has implemented technological solutions for converting rice production to high-quality, low-emission rice in Vietnam. This has been achieved through organizing field demonstration events on mechanized precision sowing, and technologies and equipment supporting circular agriculture such as mechanized collection of dry and wet straw, and the production of organic fertilizer from straw. According to the Department of Crop Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), a process and handbook for managing rice straw in a circular and low-emission agricultural manner in the Mekong Delta will be published and launched. This will serve as a basis to support farmers, extension officers, cooperatives, businesses, research units, and those interested in circular rice production linked to greenhouse gas emission reduction.

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