Corn stalks processed into cattle feed generate 80 million yuan in revenue
On October 15, in Dangpo Village, Yuantan Town, Tanghe County, major grain grower Dang Yongde was organizing workers to bale and load the corn stalks left in the fields after the autumn harvest, transporting them to Zhuyuan Village in the same town, to sell to Tanghe County Xinâ– Green Beef Cattle Breeding Co., Ltd. at a price of 0.1 yuan per jin.
An annual increase in income of 80 million yuan! "In the past, stalks were burned as firewood; today, they make money by passing through the belly" -- farmers in Tanghe County sell corn stalks to cattle breeding companies, converting them into "green bread" for the county's 500,000 head of cattle, turning corn stalk waste into treasure.
"In the past, after the autumn harvest, there was nowhere to sell the corn stalks, and our own household could not use up all of them as firewood, so we could only burn them. Not to mention the environmental pollution, it also damaged the soil. It was both a pity and helpless. Now it is better. So many breeding companies have been built in the townships, and corn stalks have become something valuable, so there is no worry about having nowhere to sell them." Looking at the cash in hand, Dang Yongde's face broke into a broad smile. "This year I planted more than 100 mu of corn, and the corn stalks alone amount to more than 200,000 jin. Selling them to the beef cattle company can bring in more than 20,000 yuan."
The complete transformation of stalks from waste into treasure stems from the development model of "grain and fodder feeding livestock -- value added through the belly" implemented by the county in the process of grain industrialization. Tanghe is a national demonstration county for standardized beef cattle breeding and a strong livestock county in Henan Province. The scale advantage of 500,000 head of cattle makes Tanghe a veritable major county for cattle breeding. The booming cattle industry has found a "home" for corn stalks, becoming an effective way to increase agricultural production and efficiency and raise farmers' incomes.