Straw now profitable as farmers turn former trash into treasure

Burning straw used to be a tedious burden for Liu Weiquan as he had to torch tons of it after annual harvests in Anhui province, with nothing to show for it financially.

But now he wouldn't dream of repeating this chore, as it would be like burning money. The commodity has become profitable for thousands of farmers like Liu.

After harvesting almost 4 metric tons of wheat in June, Liu, of Gaotai village, Funan county, is preparing to sow corn.