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Why is rice chaff used as fuel in parts of Asia?

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In the context of cereal processing, rice chaff—also known as the hull or husk—is utilized as fuel in parts of Asia as a practical application of milling by-products.12

During the milling process, the hull is removed from the paddy rice kernel. Because these hulls are readily available in large quantities as a byproduct of rice production, they serve as an accessible and efficient energy source for various local needs. Beyond their use as fuel, rice hulls are also employed for other industrial and agricultural purposes, including as packing material, in the manufacture of fertilizer, for industrial grinding, and in the production of the chemical furfural.2