Zhijiang makes full use of excess straw

By Cai Siwei, Xia Wanting, Yichang International Communication Studio

In recent years, Zhijiang City has promoted the recycling of crop straw, turning what would be waste into a new material for other agricultural activities. This initiative has achieved both ecological and economic benefits.

In the corn fields of Xinglongshan Village, rows of straw were being harvested, shredded, and compacted by straw baling machines. The straw was then collected and transported to nearby storage stations. The farmers don’t need to pay for the whole process as the baling machine company will take part of the straws as payment, addressing the cost challenge of waste straw disposal.

“If I were to do it on my own cost, I would have had to pay 30 yuan (US$4.23) for each mu (0.07 hectare). I have a dozen mu of fields, which could have cost me about 500 yuan. It’s a real relief for us,” said Ji Delan, a local villager.

After being collected and stored, the straw is reprocessed into valuable commodities, such as animal feed and organic fertilizers. This initiative not only propels the agricultural industry toward sustainable development but also paves the way for a successful autumn sowing for farmers, said Peng Zhongqing, the leader of Yuxing Straw Recycling Professional Cooperative.
 

Zhijiang City has established 18 specialized straw collection and transportation cooperatives as well as 11 village-level straw collection and storage stations. They have developed several usages for the straw, such as turning them into feed, fuel, fertilizer, raw materials, and breeding materials.