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Every year, Vietnam has 47 million tons of straw, of which the Mekong Delta rice granary alone has over 25 million tons. However, only about 20%-30% of the straw is recovered to make straw mushrooms, animal feed, fruit transport cushions, etc. Taking advantage of straw treatment is to maximize the circulation of raw materials in agricultural production; solving the problem of burning straw which causes waste.
Scientists have shown that the Mekong Delta, with an annual harvest of about 24 million tons of rice, also produces about 26-27 million tons of straw. Currently, about 70% of straw is burned in the fields or buried in the soil. However, burning straw causes loss of nutrients in straw, loss of biodiversity and environmental pollution; while burying straw in flooded fields increases methane emissions and greenhouse gas emissions. The above situation shows that there is a need for specific policies and technical guidelines to manage and use straw in the Mekong Delta in particular, and in Vietnam in general, towards circular and low-emission agriculture.
In fact, the situation of farmers burning straw after harvest has been alarming for many years. Many solutions have been proposed to limit this situation, but up to now, 70% of straw is still burned or buried in the ground, only 30% is collected for use. Scientists say: The problem here is to use all of this straw, to turn it into money, not waste, not only into money for farmers, for businesses but also not harmful to the environment, that is the goal.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has worked with the Mekong Delta provinces to soon submit to the Government a project of 1 million hectares of high-quality rice with 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 promoted to increase value and help increase income; and this huge amount of straw needs to create added value beyond rice grains.
An optimistic signal is that recently, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and relevant partners to deploy technological solutions to convert high-quality and low-emission rice for Vietnam, through organizing field demonstration events on precision sowing mechanization, technologies and equipment supporting circular agriculture such as mechanization of dry and wet straw collection, production of organic fertilizers from straw, etc. According to the Department of Crop Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), the process and manual for straw management towards circular agriculture and low emissions in the Mekong Delta will be announced and launched. This is the basis to support farmers, extension officers, cooperatives, businesses, research units and those interested in circular rice production associated with reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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