Where is the benefit of straw breeding animals?

China produces a massive amount of crop straw, with approximately 700 million tons generated annually. However, in recent years, due to factors such as falling crop yields and the gradual shift in rural energy structures, straw waste and illegal burning have become increasingly common. This has led to serious environmental pollution, traffic hazards, and a significant waste of resources, drawing widespread public concern. So, how can we effectively address the issue of straw waste and burning? Currently, there are four main approaches: using straw as fertilizer, animal feed, mushroom substrate, or fuel and industrial raw materials. Professor Meng Qingxiang from China Agricultural University points out that while technologies like straw gasification and briquetting are still developing, only about 10% of straw is directly returned to the fields, and around one-third is used for animal feed. Therefore, utilizing waste straw in animal husbandry holds great potential. However, whether this approach can be scaled depends on whether it brings real benefits to farmers and growers. The State Council’s recent "Opinions on Accelerating the Comprehensive Utilization of Crop Straw" emphasizes the integration of straw utilization, agricultural efficiency, and increased farmer income. To explore the benefits of using straw for livestock, this reporter recently visited a dairy farm and a green and yellow storage center in Heilongjiang Province during the National Livestock Conference. At Shuangying Niuye Industry Co., Ltd., which was established in 2005, over 600 cattle are raised, requiring about 250,000 kg of corn stalks annually. In June, the company built a 2,000 cubic meter silage pit. Manager Niu Jigang noted that using fermented straw not only shortens the fattening period but also reduces costs. For example, feeding dry corn stalks requires 5 kg per cow daily, with a 6-month fattening period. Using silage, the same amount of feed reduces the fattening time to 4 months, saving 70,000–100,000 yuan per year. Additionally, silage extends the storage life by up to a year, reducing spoilage losses by nearly 20%, and saves 0.07–0.1 yuan per 500 grams of straw. Compared to pasture, silage offers even greater cost advantages. According to the Heilongjiang Animal Husbandry Bureau, the production cost of silage is around 0.1 yuan per kg, compared to 0.4 yuan for pasture. At 3 tons of forage per cow annually, this reduces feeding costs by over 900 yuan. The quality of the animals also improves. At Qingyuan Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd. in Shuangcheng, a TMR full-mix diet machine prepares balanced rations for 834 cows. Xue Yingfeng, the head of the company, said that silage improves satiety and stimulates digestion, leading to a 20–30% increase in milk production. By adding soybean meal to the silage, they achieved an additional 2% increase in milk output. Small-scale farms also benefit. Liu Tao Dairy Farm in Double City saw a 20% reduction in feeding costs and increased milk yield to 6.5 tons per cow after using a mix of blue and yellow silage. According to data from the Heilongjiang Animal Husbandry Bureau, after implementing the straw livestock project, the proportion of improved cattle increased from 35% to 95%, and average milk yield rose by 30%. Beef carcass weight also increased by 27.3%. In Ningxia, straw-based feeding helped solve forage shortages after grazing bans. By 2007, the province had 320,000 dairy cows, 1.5 million beef cattle, and 10.55 million sheep, contributing 5.6 billion yuan to the agricultural economy. Industrial management allows small-scale farmers to benefit. Wang Jiaqi from the Beijing Institute of Animal Husbandry suggests that industrialization is key to scaling up straw-based feeding. Companies like RongYao Feed Biotechnology Development Co., Ltd. use contracts with farmers, provide seeds, and manage harvesting and silage production, solving issues of collection and storage. Despite low straw costs, companies can maintain profitability. RongRongyao, head of RongYao Feed, said that wrapping costs add only 0.01–0.02 yuan per kilogram, and farmers generally accept the price. The company sells 45,000 tons of silage annually and now produces TMR rations for dairy cows, boosting profits. In demonstration areas, many breeding enterprises and cooperatives have emerged. In Hebei and Henan provinces, specialized teams produce large-scale silage, selling it at 2–3 cents per kilogram. These efforts have created a commercial silage system that supports large-scale livestock farming. Straw-based livestock not only helps farmers but also benefits broader communities. Since 1992, the central government has invested 865 million yuan in straw projects, promoting beef, mutton, and milk production in key regions. Farmers in Heilongjiang, for instance, see net income gains of 150–200 yuan per mu through silage contracts. In Henan, farmers earned 2.42 billion yuan from straw sales in 2007. In Linyi County, Shandong, farmers gained 36.4 million yuan from selling corn stalks to livestock operations. With rising corn prices and growing demand for animal products, experts suggest that developing straw-based animal husbandry can help ensure food security. Using 20 million tons of straw silage in Shandong could save 3.6 million tons of feed, enough to raise 12 million pigs or 720 million chickens. This highlights the critical role of straw in supporting sustainable agriculture and livestock systems.

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