The Egyptian government is making noticeable progress in its fight against the black cloud — a thick layer of smog from burning rice straw that spreads across Cairo and the Nile Valley for several weeks after the rice harvest each autumn.
This year, the Egyptian Ministry of Environment has convinced farmers to stop burning rice straw and instead collect it and hand it over to the government to be recycled and turned into other products.
“Agricultural waste represents an economic value, and the ministry has embarked on a plan to turn rice straw into natural fertilizers and animal fodder,” Minister of Environment Khaled Fahmy said, according to the semi-official daily newspaper Al-Ahram.
The minister added that the government is planning to establish a factory in the Nile Delta governorate of Beheira in order to turn rice straw into paper using an environmentally friendly Chinese technology.
Shehab Abdel Wahab, the head of the Environmental Affairs Agency affiliated with the Ministry of Environment, told local media that burning rice straw is responsible for 43% of the black cloud phenomenon, while traffic fumes constitute 23% and garbage burning 12% of the problem.
This year, the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture launched 336 workshops and symposia to raise awareness among farmers about the economic and environmental importance of rice straw and the harm resulting from its burning. During the workshops, farmers were urged to collect rice straw and hand it over at collection points nationwide to be recycled and turned into fodder and fertilizers. Farmers get 50 Egyptian pounds ($2.83) for every ton of rice straw they hand over. Government figures seem to indicate that many farmers have reacted positively to the government’s awareness campaigns.
According to a report released by the Egyptian Ministry of Environment, a total of 50,000 tons of rice straw have been collected, about 7,261 tons of which have been recycled and turned into feed and fertilizers from mid-August until now. The government plans to collect 350,000 tons of rice straw and recycle about 220,000 of them, the report added.
The government’s plan comes as Egypt’s farmers have been hit hard by a 2014 decision to increase fertilizer prices on the retail market by 33%. Making matters worse was the increase in fuel prices by up to 47%; a decision taken by the government following the November pound flotation to cut budget deficit and stimulate economic growth.
In addition to awareness campaigns, the government also started to punish violators in order to limit the practice. Farmers burning rice straw must pay a fine ranging between 5,000 and 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($283-$5,700). Farmers who repeat such a violation may face a prison sentence of up to one year.
Ahmed Fathi, an environmentalist and the head of a nongovernmental organization concerned with environment protection, lauded the government’s recent moves to combat the black cloud phenomenon, saying the efforts have shown positive results.
“The government has finally set out a sound, well-knit plan to fight this bad practice,” Fathi told Al-Monitor.
Fathi also said the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture should organize more awareness campaigns to encourage more farmers to stop burning rice straw and start collecting it and handing it over to the government.
“If such campaigns continued and made a marked success, rice straw would turn into a bounty for the country. It would generate a lot of revenues, and it can also be exported to other countries,” the young environmentalist added.
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) reported, “According to the Annual Report on Solid Waste Management issued by the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs in 2013 … Egypt generates 30 million tonnes of agricultural waste,” accounting for 34% of the entire waste generated.
According UNIDO, “Agricultural waste constitutes the largest source of waste generated in Egypt. Agricultural waste management has untapped potential to create jobs in rural and marginalized communities.”
“Management of agricultural waste, including rice straw, can be a golden egg for Egypt. It can provide thousands of job opportunities, satisfy the needs of fertilizers for the country’s farmers and increase export rates,” Fathi said.
Source: http://bit.ly/2zR0Vd9
