Subsoiling after harvest

Offsite composition

　Autumn and winter are the seasons that air quality tends to deteriorate easily the most. Every year between November and December is the time when farmers harvest the second-term rice crop. Once farmers start to burn things in the open air, the air quality of Nantou County will drastically deteriorate. The Environmental Protection Bureau, Nantou County Government continues to strengthen its enforcement on prohibiting straw burning behavior in the open air and has collaborated with Taichung, Changhua and Beitou to establish the “Open Air Burning Informing Platform”. At the same time, by using technological enforcement such as drone monitoring, AI smart smoke surveillance systems on commanding points, and holiday and night-time patrolling, the proportion of burning straw in the open air in Nantou County has obviously decreased in recent years.

　Commissioner Li Yi-Shu of the Environmental Protection Bureau stated that, to prevent farmers from burning harvested straw in the open air, they have promoted alternatives such as shredding straw at-site, burying them by subsoiling, using decomposition bacteria, and other methods. Regarding rice crop hot zones and previous open-air burning locations, an online cadastral database was used to target those who had practiced open-air burning, and investigations and counseling were conducted. In 2022, we further discussed with agricultural machinery manufacturers to provide farmers with shredder matching services, enabling farmers to shred agricultural waste for further reuse. At the same time, we have also been promoting the organism carbonization processing method with the anticipation of transforming agricultural waste into agricultural resources to further reuse them and achieve the goal of resource sustainability.

　Burning straw in the open air produces a large amount of carbon dioxide and particulate matters. Smoke resulting from the burning process can further impede citizens’ health and traffic safety. If open air burning incidents that result in air pollution are found, the Environmental Protection Bureau will fine violators NT$1,200 to NT$100,000 according to Air Pollution Control Act. If citizens discover any open-air burning activities, they can also call the Public Nuisance Reporting Hotline of the Environmental Protection Bureau (049-223-4685) and officers will be sent to handle them.