Double benefits from straw rolling machine in Ha Tinh fields

Straw rolling machines are being used in some localities in Ha Tinh. This is the optimal solution for post-harvest straw treatment, contributing to environmental protection and increasing income for farmers.

Previously, after harvesting rice, collecting straw to transport home took a lot of effort, so many people left the straw in the fields, on the roads or burned it. Currently, in some localities in Can Loc, Thach Ha, Cam Xuyen... people have used machines to collect straw, which is very convenient and effective.

Straw rolling machine is applied in some localities in Ha Tinh.

Waiting for the straw rolling machine to collect straw for his family's 3 sao of rice fields, Mr. Phan Van Dat (Thach Khe commune, Thach Ha district) said: In addition to farming, his family raises 4 cows, so after every harvest, the straw must be collected and stored as food for the cows. In previous years, without the machine, collecting straw was quite difficult and time-consuming; sometimes we couldn't collect it in time, and when it rained, we had to throw it all away because it was damaged. Now, with the rolling machine, it is very convenient, 1 sao of rice fields, the machine only runs for 7-10 minutes and the straw is rolled into tight bundles, just put it on the truck to take home.

According to Mr. Dat, because the straw is bundled, a large quantity can be collected. With 3 sao of rice field, only 1 truck is needed to transport it, not 3-4 trips like before.

Double benefits from straw rolling machine in Ha Tinh fields

Using straw rolling machines, people have an additional income of about 2.5 million VND/ha.

In Can Loc district, people have been using straw rolling machines since the spring crop of 2023. Mr. Nguyen Van Tho (Hoa Binh village, Thanh Loc commune, Can Loc district) is one of the first owners of a straw rolling machine in the locality. Since the beginning of the summer-autumn rice harvest, except for rainy days, his family's straw rolling machine has been operating continuously 24/7.

Mr. Tho said: "My family bought a plow to till the land a few years ago. In addition to tilling the land, to increase the machine's functionality, I also bought a straw roller to install on the front of the plow."

According to Mr. Tho, the machine can roll 50-60 rolls in 1 hour, about 250 rolls per hectare. Thus, a 4-hour machine shift can finish rolling straw on an area of more than 1 hectare of rice field. If collected manually as before, it would take nearly 2 weeks to finish each hectare.

Mr. Le Hung's family (Thanh Loc commune, Can Loc district) is the household with the largest rice growing area in the commune with an area of nearly 6.5 hectares. Mr. Hung said: In the past, harvesting rice with a combine harvester was very quick, but collecting straw manually took a lot of time, so the family could not collect it all and left a lot in the field and burned it. From the spring crop of 2023 until now, I have rented a machine and in just a few days, I have collected it all, transported it home to store as food for the family's 10 cows."

It is known that Thanh Loc commune currently has 4 straw rolling machines and initially has helped farmers quickly collect straw, clean the fields, limit straw burning, soil compaction, environmental pollution and waste of raw materials for agricultural reproduction.

According to many people, when using straw rolling machines, farmers not only have more free time but also earn a significant income from selling straw. According to calculations, 1 hectare of rice will roll about 250 straw rolls. Farmers have to pay a machine rental fee of 8,000 VND/roll. After deducting the cost, the machine owners have an income of 1.5 million VND/ha. In case people do not need to use them, they can sell them back to the machine owner for 10,000 VND/roll. Thus, people will have an income of about 2.5 million VND/ha.

Double benefits from straw rolling machine in Ha Tinh fields

The widely applied straw rolling machine will limit the burning of straw in the fields, contributing to reducing environmental pollution.

In addition to the types of machinery commonly used in rice production such as: seeders, transplanters, combine harvesters, straw balers have also been put into use in some localities. If this method is widely applied, it will limit the burning of straw in the fields, contribute to reducing environmental pollution and provide raw materials for growing vegetables, making straw mushrooms, making roughage for raising cattle and buffaloes, increasing people's income.

However, currently, there are not many straw rolling machines in the province because the price of the machine is still quite high, from 45-80 million VND/machine depending on the type. Therefore, it is necessary to have support from the State to accompany the people, thereby contributing to increasing the application of mechanization in production, increasing the value of harvests on cultivated areas, contributing to sustainable agricultural development.

Nguyen Hoan

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