IRRI and TaiwanICDF facilitate training of trainers on sustainable and low-carbon rice straw management

Can Tho, Vietnam (October 9-11, 2024) – The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Vietnam Office held a Training of Trainers (TOTs) workshop in Can Tho, Vietnam. The workshop focused on Sustainable and Low-Carbon Rice Production, emphasizing Rice Straw Management. This event was part of the Capacity Building for Sustainable and Low-Carbon Rice Innovations in Southeast Asia (CABIN) project, supported by the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF).

Dr. Nguyen Van Hung, a senior scientist at IRRI and the lead of the CABIN project, highlighted the main objective of the training, which was to enhance the knowledge and skills of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Services (NARES) partners in rice straw management for sustainable and low-carbon rice production and innovations for value-adding. The training aimed to build a core group of trainers who would lead capacity development activities in the focus countries of the CABIN project.

The workshop included insights from IRRI and local experts from Vietnam on current innovations and case studies related to rice straw circular economy management, such as rice straw mushroom production, rice straw as animal feed and rice straw bio-bedding, mechanization of straw collection, mechanized rice straw composting, long-term experiments on rice and rice straw management, and a case study on rice straw business models in Green Farm Cooperative.

Speakers from Taiwan discussed low-carbon measures adopted in TaiwanICDF's agricultural projects in the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Haiti. They also presented advanced rice straw technologies developed by Taiwanese companies Tetanti AgriBiotech Inc. and Ccilu International Inc.

Participants developed CABIN Country Work Plans during the workshop, outlining specific sites, events, training materials, resources, and activities for each country. IRRI and TaiwanICDF facilitated the planning process.

As part of the TOTs workshop, a field visit to Tien Thuan Cooperative in Vinh Thanh District, Can Tho City, was organized. Participants from the CABIN target countries of Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam visited the 1-million-hectare Farm of High Quality and Low Emission Rice pilot field. The visit included introductions to the mechanized rice straw composting business model and demonstrations of rice straw-based circular economy models, such as rice straw mushroom harvesting and treating rice straw for cattle feeding.

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