LOS BAÑOS, Philippines―A two-day workshop
focusing on research-based, sustainable rice straw management initiatives and
viable market prospects for rice straw was held at the IRRI Headquarters, 8-9
August. The event, titled "Putting Waste to Good Use: Sustainable Rice
Straw Management in the Philippines," brought together researchers
from Philippine government agencies and state universities and private sector
entrepreneurs.
A rice byproduct, rice straw can potentially be useful in several
ways. However, in the Philippines, it is deemed to have little to no commercial
value. Thus, it is usually burned or incorporated into the soil. Finding
optimal uses for rice straw and determining how to manage it in an
environmentally friendly way can increase farmers' income.
