Do not waste the 'black gold' of farming

But if used properly, they will become a valuable source of raw materials for the production of fertilizers, biochar, feed ... Because in our country, the main types of agricultural by-products are rice husk Sawdust, bagasse, maize stigmas, corn stover, coconut fiber, straw, straw ... The huge raw material has always existed and increased with the development of production. With such abundant potentials, reasonable use can not only create more employment conditions for many rural laborers but also contribute to raising product values ​​and protecting the environment.

However, the scientific research system of our country has been too long ago to study the development of production, preservation and processing of agricultural products, husbandry and aquaculture. On the contrary, the problem of processing and raising the value from agricultural by-products is neglected. Therefore, after each crop, straw, grain, corn ... white sugar, white. In 2014, I visited a microorganism processing plant in Dak Lak. The owner said that 12 years ago, sugarcane mulch, coal ash discharged from sugar mills was scrapped.

But since the Ministry of Science and Technology has a project to support the development of a pilot model for the use of sugar cane and charcoal ash (combined with peat, bacterial and some additives) to compost This industry tried to join and was successful. Some other units found us to eat should also make "jump in" market share. Currently, the sugar mills in the Central Highlands region are familiar with the sugar mill manager who is in the tender to buy cane, molasses and other by-products to make fertilizer.

According to the owner of this facility, the collection of peat raw materials for the production of micro-organism fertilizer is also increasingly difficult due to the price increase (600-700 thousand per ton peat). I asked him: "Do you know that animal waste is a very good source of organic fertilizer?" He replied, "I have heard but no scientist just taught meticulously. And if we want to convert fertilizer processing technology, we need state support. By failing, the manufacturing facility will lose a large customer base. "

Starting from that, when implementing the LCASP, we not only focus on supporting farmers to build biogas plants, but also focus on research. Develop pilot models for efficient use of agricultural by-product waste, contributing to increased incomes for people. Currently, many countries in the world have used straw, rice hulls to produce biochar (its value is considered by scientists as "black gold" of agriculture.

Biochar has the effect of increasing the fertility of the soil, affecting the growth, development and productivity of plants on soil that is in poor nutrition, helping to keep the soil moist and to reduce the loss of soil. fertilizer. This is a good source of raw materials to be studied for use in organic fertilizer production in Vietnam. The project also aims to pilot a variety of technologies for the use of agricultural by-product residues, both to generate income for farmers and to reduce environmental pollution (such as silage and straw). Cattle feed, aquaculture, rice husk firewood, improved cooking stove used as bio-pad, use of catfish pond silage, shrimp farming to produce organic fertilizer ...).

Dr. NGUYEN THE HINH

Director of the Central Low Carbon Agriculture Project Management Board