Reducing air pollution from farmland: Challenge of managing rice straw burning

As the rice harvest season approaches, it has almost become a routine for many provinces to simultaneously issue directives urging farmers not to burn rice straw in order to protect air quality. Some localities have even imposed fines for straw-burning activities.

These measures have brought certain results. However, the practice has not yet been eliminated. Farmers still spontaneously burn straw in the fields to create ash as fertilizer, and the resulting smoke and dust spread through the air. There are stories of farmers in former Ha Nam and Nam Dinh provinces burning their fields, while Hanoi bears the brunt of the air pollution as the air quality index drops noticeably the very next day.

Beyond fine dust and emissions, the smoke and ash from burning rice straw and other agricultural residues remain major contributors to air quality deterioration.

Mr. Hoang Duong Tung, Chairman of the Viet Nam Clean Air Network, said that post-harvest rice straw burning is not a new issue. It has existed for a long time and is not unique to Vietnam. In many other countries such as Thailand and Laos, farmers also burn straw after the harvest season, creating heavy smoke and haze.

"A few years ago, before the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment were merged, we contacted the Department of Crop Production to discuss this issue. At that time, our focus was mainly on production, with little attention given to handling or reusing agricultural by-products," Mr. Tung recalled.

During field studies in suburban districts of Hanoi, many problems were identified. In large-scale agricultural areas such as the Mekong Delta and more recently in parts of the Red River Delta, farmers cultivating dozens or even hundreds of hectares have begun investing in straw balers to collect straw after harvest instead of burning it. "That’s a very positive approach," he said.

Rice straw can be reused as animal feed, composted for mushroom cultivation, or used as mulch in places like Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan. However, mechanization only works in large-scale farms. For small, fragmented plots, it is almost impossible to apply such technology. As a result, smallholders often burn straw on-site because it is faster and more convenient.

Another major barrier to investing in straw collection equipment in northern provinces, according to Mr. Tung, is local protectionism. “There have been many cases where people from one province brought machines, such as rice transplanters or harvesters to work in another province but were obstructed or forced to pay ‘protection fees’ by local groups. If they refused, their machines weren’t allowed to operate,” he said. Meanwhile, a farmer cultivating one sao of rice (about 360 m²) earns only around 400,000 VND after deducting all costs for three to four months of work.

Because production remains small-scale and non-commercial, rural areas are mostly left to elderly farmers, while younger people migrate to cities for factory jobs with higher income, often enough in a month to buy a ton of rice, sufficient to feed their family for a year.

Even if farmers wanted to compost straw instead of burning it, they would need biological agents to accelerate decomposition in time for the next planting season. During the rainy season, fields can be flooded for straw composting, but in the dry winter crop, farmers leave fields fallow for weeks to eliminate weeds and pests. Dry straw ignites easily, and a single spark can set entire fields ablaze.

If local authorities ask each household to contribute around 100,000 VND to purchase composting agents, that amount equals about a quarter of their net income from a rice crop. “No farmer would agree to that,” Mr. Tung noted. "So they burn it quickly, endure a bit of smoke, and move on without realizing that the pollutants they produce travel and degrade air quality elsewhere."

Each harvest season, local governments issue reminders and even regulations to fine those caught burning straw. "But I think these fines are unrealistic," Mr. Tung said. "To issue a fine, one must catch the person red-handed. Yet in open fields, someone can light a match and leave. By the time inspectors arrive, only ashes remain."

At one point, Hanoi hired an agency to use satellite imagery to monitor straw burning. In some cases, smoke from straw fires near Noi Bai Airport even affected visibility during aircraft takeoff and landing. Although several response plans were drafted, including proposals to purchase straw balers for farmers, none were effectively implemented.

We must truly understand the realities of farmers’ lives and develop practical policies that share their burdens and provide real support. I have worked with leaders of several districts (before the two-tier local government model was implemented). At that time, some agricultural districts had their own Department of Agriculture, while in others, agriculture was managed under the Department of Economics. Meanwhile, environmental management belonged to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment. Two separate entities that rarely coordinated effectively.

The environmental side had no budget and usually had to submit proposals through administrative channels to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, while the agricultural side operated under agricultural extension programs. The two departments rarely sat down to find joint solutions. Therefore, in my view, merging these agencies under a unified structure is a very positive step, making overall management and coordination much smoother and more efficient.

Plans to restrict or ban rice straw burning in Hanoi’s suburban districts may look impressive on paper, but in practice, the city’s success in curbing the practice remains unclear and unsustainable. Policies directed at farmers are still too general and rely heavily on slogans rather than concrete, actionable measures. As a result, after each campaign, farmers eventually return to burning straw spontaneously.

To gain farmers’ cooperation, local authorities must persist with consistent technical and financial support in a systematic, practical, and sustainable manner. According to Mr. Tung, such support would not significantly burden local budgets. Of course, once support policies are in place, farmers must also take responsibility, comply with regulations, and avoid reverting to old habits. Businesses, too, should share this responsibility and cannot remain passive observers.

Mr. Tung also pointed to a newer and increasingly concerning source of emissions, waste incineration plants. "These facilities have only appeared in recent years, and although they haven’t received enough attention, some localities are already suffering from their impact. Emissions from these plants can contain extremely toxic substances such as dioxins and furans," he warned. "Hanoi’s leaders need to pay close attention and develop solutions to manage this emerging pollution source."