Straw recycling transforms waste into treasure in Kaiyang

Nanmudu town is a major agricultural hub in Kaiyang county, Guiyang, with large areas devoted to growing crops such as corn and wheat. Every autumn, after the harvest, a large number of stalks are left in the fields. If farmers resort to burning them, it not only causes environmental pollution but also poses safety risks.  

In an effort to avoid such issues, the town has launched a comprehensive straw recycling and utilization program wherein bundles of corn stalks are fed into a chopping and rubbing machine at the biomass fuel pellet factory in the town's Hongxing village, transforming them into fuel, feed and fertilizer. This greatly promotes sustainable agricultural development.  

"Recycling and reusing straw not only solves the environmental and safety issues caused by burning, but also helps reduce living costs for locals, addresses the feed shortage among nearby livestock farmers, and extends the agricultural production chain, creating a win-win situation for both crop and livestock production," explained a representative from the Nanmudu Agricultural Center.

The biomass fuel pellets produced from straw are highly efficient and easy to ignite, producing minimal ash, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and supports environmental protection. They are also twice as cheap as electricity and 1.5 times cheaper than coal, providing an affordable alternative for household energy use and reducing living costs for villagers.

This year, the town is purchasing straw from locals at a price of 300 yuan ($42.24) per metric ton, with plans to collect and store 1,000 tons, potentially boosting household incomes by 300,000 yuan.