Shatian Rice Straw – The Raw Material of Xuan Paper

Rice straw refers to the stem of rice plants, generally denoting the rice stalks after threshing. The most suitable soils for the growth of high-quality Shatian rice straw are yellow-brown soil, calcareous soil, skeletal soil, and paddy soil. Areas such as Jingxian County, Jingde County, and Xuancheng City are dominated by these soil types, so the Shatian rice straw produced here becomes a high-quality raw material for rice paper (Xuan paper).

The central part of Jingxian County is an alluvial plain with high sand content in the soil, which is suitable for growing long-stalk rice. The straw of this long-stalk rice is flexible, with uniform fibers, a high pulp yield, and a low degree of lignification, making it easy to extract fibers (for rice paper production).